


College Quarantine AU (Love in the Time of Quarantine)

by QuarantineKate



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: College Roommates, F/F, Quarantine, Rated M for what’s to come..., and there was just one bed, idiots to lovers, kicked off campus, or who rather
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:49:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 27,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23461273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuarantineKate/pseuds/QuarantineKate
Summary: Polis State University is shutting down as a result of the pandemic sweeping the nation. Everyone must go home - the only problem is, Lexa doesn’t have a home to go to. Thankfully, her roommate Clarke offers a solution.
Relationships: Clarke Griffin/Lexa
Comments: 87
Kudos: 625





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Y’all, I’m so sorry. Quarantine is getting to me. Enjoy!

The e-mail came through at 11:03 am on Wednesday. The entire student body was directed to pack up and go home. Campus was closing because of the pandemic. It wouldn’t have been so alarming had the students not been told to actually pack up all of their belongings. It felt final, like the end, but there was still meant to be months of school left.

Of course, classes would resume in one week online, but it left little time for Lexa to figure things out. Where was she going to go? Coming to college had been a pipe dream growing up, her foster parents weren’t particularly kind and, as expected, once Lexa turned eighteen they were gone from her life completely - another child fostered and a new check in their bank account. Lexa fought for everything she had, including the full-ride scholarship she’d received from Polis State University.

Freshman Year, Lexa spent the summer with her cousin, Anya, but at the time, Anya was a senior and she had an apartment off campus.Lexa didn’t even meet Anya until she was 17, didn’t know she had any family left, until, after one particularly bad fight with her ‘parents’ Lexa had spent hours scouring the internet for her aunt and uncle - people she hardly remembered. Now, Anya was putting her degree to use fighting big corporations and, as a result, was halfway across the globe holed up in a hotel under quarantine.

_“I’m sorry, Lexa. I really am, but I can’t leave. I’m living out of a hotel for crying out loud - I can barely get out to get food. This is a fucking nightmare. I wish I could help, you know that. I’ll cashapp you some money, just let me know how much, but that’s all I can do for now.”_

February of her sophomore year had been the best month of her collegiate experience, or well, that’s what she thought at the time. It was the month she met Costia. Lexa had never felt anything like that before, like the love she felt for Costia. She had big, beautiful brown eyes that were so full of wonder, and it was exciting exploring new things with her. And it had been amazing, but Costia wasn’t interested in staying at Polis State and, even though Lexa knew that, she wasn’t prepared for the day Costia transferred to a college on the other side of the country.

_“We’ll be okay, Lexa, I promise. People do the long-distance thing all the time!”_

The long-distance thing. Their entire relationship had been reduced to a thing, and Lexa knew then that it was a lost cause. But, in true Lexa fashion, she held on. She kept hoping, kept calling and texting, kept up the charade for as long as she could, until one day she got a phone call.

_“Lexa. Listen. I’m so sorry, but... I met someone and I still love you, like, I always will love you, but it’s just... it’s too hard to keep doing this.”_

That summer, she had planned to spend it with Costia. Anya was out of the country on her first big case and Lexa had nowhere to go. Her luck turned around when she found an advertisement for a local summer camp in need of counselors - it was a sleep-away camp and she would have somewhere to live all summer long; it was the perfect solution. Lexa had planned on returning this summer, had it all squared away, but now the damn apocalypse had decided to come in the middle of March and she was completely and utterly screwed.

She read and re-read every news article she could find, she searched roommate finder apps hoping something would pop up, but nobody, it seemed, wanted a stranger moving in right now, not with everything going on. So, even though Lexa knew it was a long shot, she had to try.

And that is how Clarke Griffin, her obnoxiously outgoing and way-too-attractive roommate, found her that afternoon - on the phone with Costia.

“I get that, Costia, I’m not saying... No, I know we broke up... No! This is not me trying to get back with you, Cos, come on!... I just need somewhere to stay, that’s all!... Okay, no I get it, Costia... It’s fine... Yeah, thanks for nothing.”

Lexa let her phone fall to the floor next her, buried her face in her hands, and let out a heavy sigh. _What am I going to do?_

“Umm... Lexa?” Clarke was standing in the doorway with a large empty duffel slung over her shoulder. She hadn’t moved and when Lexa peeked up at the blonde, her eyes were filled with something akin to concern - odd, Lexa thought, since they weren’t exactly on friendly terms.

“What?” Lexa snapped. It was harsh, harsher than she intended, but given her current predicament, it was the best she could do.

“Is, um... are you okay?” Clarke seemed genuinely worried. _Why?_

“No, I’m not, Clarke. I have nowhere to go and the campus is closing.” With that, Lexa stood and stalked out of their dorm room. She didn’t know where she was going, but then again, that was pretty par for the course, wasn’t it? _Ha Ha._

_______

Lexa was gone before Clarke could blink. _What the hell?_ Lexa had never been very friendly. She was always so stoic and studious and, well... boring. It never made sense to Clarke - she came to college to escape the rigid routine of home, and to get an education of course, but eh, that came second.

Clarke’s mother was a trauma surgeon at Ark Memorial Hospital and the things she had seen... well, it meant life for Clarke was anything but exciting. The other kids could ride bikes without helmets, but not Clarke - she had to wear knee pads and elbow pads too! When her mother caught her pulling into the driveway without her seatbelt on when she was sixteen, it meant no car for a month and Abby made her watch a horrible video about the risks of driving without it. The guilt trip had been the worst part, though, since her father had been killed in a car accident when she was eleven (and he _had_ been wearing a seatbelt).

College was a different world for Clarke. She was no longer under Abby’s watchful eye, finally free to _live_ a little, and she was definitely taking advantage of it. Clarke went to parties and made friends with some of the edgier kids (like Octavia, a freshman with a wild side and a motorcycle and a lot of tattoos), Clarke slept through her eight a.m. class on occasion, she did group projects with stoners and had even indulged in a joint or two (gasp!) - basically, Clarke was living to learn who she was, who she could be, without Abby’s interference.

And then there was Lexa. This was the first year they’d shared a room and it had been anything but the college experience she had had last year rooming with Raven. Raven was hilarious and smart and she enjoyed a good party as much as, if not more than Clarke. They’d stay up late watching movie marathons and Raven would always demand popcorn. Lexa didn’t seem to like movies, or parties, or staying up late. Or popcorn!

The first day they met, Clarke thought she had had an aneurism because _oh wow_ Lexa was so pretty and the attraction hit Clarke like a ton of bricks, but... The Lexa in her dreams and the Lexa in real life were two completely different people. (Not that she had dreamed about Lexa, pfft. Never.) Lexa in real life seemed to be annoyed by Clarke as much as Clarke was annoyed by Lexa - Lexa went to sleep early, Clarke came in late, Lexa woke up before 6 a.m., Clarke threw pillows at her for it, and worst of all, Lexa had books stacked up on her desk that were like four feet high and Clarke had, well, snacks on every surface that was hers.

So it was surprising to Clarke that, after months of feeling nothing but contempt for Lexa, she found herself feeling... worried, maybe a bit sad, because it looked like Lexa was really upset... and, and she had nowhere to go? _What?_

“Ugh!” Clarke let out an exasperated huff because of course, _of course_ , she would have to invite Lexa to come home with her - she may not _love_ being around Lexa, but she was not going to hang the poor girl out to dry, either.The pool house did have two bedrooms and it wouldn’t be ideal, but... _Ugh_. Clarke sighed as she pulled out her phone to call her mother. _Great_.

“Hey Mom. Listen... I’ve got, I think there might be a situation here... No, nobody is dying, Mom... It’s nothing like that!... Mom, listen. My roommate doesn’t, I don’t think she has anywhere to go right now... No, I don’t know for sure, she looked upset and she stormed out before I could ask - Okay, well I will, obviously... I just was trying to ask you if she could, if she needs to come home with me, if she could?” There was a short pause on the other end of the line before Abby told her yes, she could but they’d both be staying in the pool house in quarantine for the mandatory two weeks. _Awesome_.

______

Lexa walked along the cobblestoned streets of the campus for what felt like hours (but was really only about fifteen minutes). She had her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jeans, head lowered looking at the ground, doing her best not to cry. Or punch something.

All around her, the campus was in a frenzy. There were large trucks and U-Hauls pulled into the parking spots outside of every dorm building. People were whizzing by with boxes of books and mementos and bags of clothes in hand; they were stumbling in their hurried panic and annoyed by Lexa’s apparent nonchalance. _If they only knew._

A cold drizzle started to fall, forcing Lexa to retreat back inside where she would just sit and watch her roommate pack and contemplate her life... or something. _Shit_.

“Hey!” Clarke seemed relieved to see her when she opened the door to their room. “Are you okay? Have you, do you know what you’re going to do?”

“Nope.” Lexa was dejected, scared, and all alone.

“Okay, well um... Listen, I talked to my mom and, I mean, if you like... You can come home with me, if you want to. Or need to. I know you probably don’t want to since you hate me or whatever, but... You can.”

_What? Really?_ No words came out. Lexa was stunned. One, she was pretty sure it was Clarke who hated her, not the other way around - she didn’t _love_ Clarke, but she certainly didn’t hate the girl. Two, Lexa couldn’t make sense of it because why would Clarke offer to help her when even Costia, the girl who _used_ to love her, wouldn’t? Clarke didn’t owe her anything and in Lexa’s experience, people didn’t just do things to be... nice - not unless there was something specifically in it for them - and Clarke didn’t have anything to gain.

“Clarke,” Lexa’s voice was small. “You don’t have to-”

“I know, Lexa, but it’s kind of the end of the world out there and since we already live together, I just figured... you can say no.”

“I can’t, actually. I really don’t have anywhere to go.”

“Okay, well it’s settled then. But,” Clarke threw a set of keys at Lexa unexpectedly, “you have to drive the U-Haul because I’m not a good driver in a regular car and that thing scares the shit out of me.” She half smiled and cocked her head sideways and it almost seemed... friendly.

“Thank you, Clarke.” Lexa shoved the keys into her pocket and grabbed some of the trash bags Clarke offered to her.

The entirety of the clothes she owned would fit into one bag; her books and homework, the small laptop, and her alarm clock could all go into her backpack. Growing up in foster care meant there was very little Lexa called her own. The mini fridge and microwave both belonged to Clarke, her dresser was stuffed and spilling out onto the floor, and she had snacks in a large plastic bin shoved under her bed... and on every other surface in the room they shared. _At least we won’t starve._

Lexa took it upon herself to find the U-Haul Clarke had brought over. _How the hell?_ It was taking up two spaces, the right front tire sat a little on the curb and it was angled in the spot in a way that made no sense to Lexa. She hopped in and straightened it up before going inside to collect their belongings. If Clarke was going to be nice enough to let Lexa stay with her, the least she could do was pack the truck.

_______

Lexa squatted down, wrapped her arms around the mini fridge, gripped the underside of it, and picked it straight up in one fluid motion. _Whoa_. Her forearm muscles were suddenly very apparent to Clarke who, at no point in her life, had even tried to lift that fridge by herself. But then there was Lexa, who not only tried to lift it all on her own, but had succeeded - and she made it look so _easy_!

“I can help!” Clarke called after Lexa who turned back to face Clarke with a kind of cocky little smile that said ‘Nah, I’ve got this’ before she turned back around and headed out the door. _Well then_. Clarke grabbed a bag of clothes and hurried out the door to follow Lexa, just in case she did need help, Clarke lied to herself - because the truth was that Clarke had also suddenly noticed Lexa’s tight ass in those skinny jeans and she was not even a little bit ashamed when another girl in the parking lot caught her staring at it.

Once the truck was loaded and they were both ready to go, Clarke climbed into the passenger seat of the U-Haul and took a moment to breathe. Lexa was staring at her. Clarke watched the chaos that unfolded around them, students everywhere scrambled to get out of their dorms and none of them had any idea what the future would look like now - it was, honestly, incredibly unsettling. After a minute or two, Lexa cleared her throat and brought Clarke back into the moment. _Why is she still staring?_

“Um, Clarke? I don’t know where you live...”

“Oh!” _Right_. “Yeah, sorry. It’s about a four hour drive. Do you have a GPS app on your phone? I can put the address in for you.” Clarke reached her hand across the large vehicle and took the phone Lexa had offered. Clarke ignored the little spark she felt when their fingers brushed. _What the hell?_ She typed her mother’s address in and a small red blip popped up on the map; she pushed ‘Directions’ and handed the phone back to Lexa. “Okay, all set! You sure you’re good to drive?”

“I can handle it, Clarke.” Lexa smiled a tight smile and set off toward the campus exit.

__________

The first thirty minutes were almost completely silent. And _awkward_. They certainly weren’t friends, but couldn’t they find a way to manage a casual conversation? Apparently not. Every now and then, Lexa would hit a small pothole and Clarke would make a kind of ‘oof’ noise, but her head remained turned away from Lexa. Instead, she just stared out the window and watched the city pass by.

It wasn’t until Lexa heard a rumble that most definitely came from Clarke’s stomach, that she decided to speak up.

“Hungry?” She asked Clarke who had finally looked over to face Lexa. Lexa smiled but Clarke looked embarrassed for some reason, and Lexa couldn’t place why because, after living together for nearly a year, it was not the first time she’d heard Clarke’s stomach beg for food. The girl could eat, that was for sure, and it always irritated Lexa that no matter what Clarke put into her body, she still managed to look like... well, _like that_ and for the first time that day, Lexa’s ears tinged pink because she could not stop thinking about Clarke’s body and Lexa set those thoughts aside _months_ ago and could not afford to start thinking them again. _Not now!_

“I mean, I could eat,” Clarke answered sheepishly.

“Might as well grab something, yeah? Probably won’t be able to the further away from the city we get.”

“I’m totally okay with that, but... do you even eat fast food? Or eat out at all? I’ve only ever seen you eat like, _health food_.” The words were dripping with disdain, as if Clarke couldn’t fathom eating a vegetable - and that was totally ludicrous because her mother was a doctor and surely she made Clarke eat healthy food growing up.

“I do, I just... not often,” Lexa replied. It wasn’t as if Lexa didn’t want to go out to eat, she just couldn’t afford to, and the school cafeteria food wasn’t half bad. She’d definitely eaten worse.

“Excellent!” Clarke opened a new tab on her browser and searched for food nearby. “Oh, there’s Red Lobster coming up in like, about five exits I think.”

Lexa hesitated. She loved Red Lobster, she and Anya would go there sometimes, but she really didn’t have the money for it. _Dammit_. She meant to send Anya a cashapp request, but totally forgot. Clarke must have sensed something was up because she added quickly, “I’ll buy. Since you’re driving. As a thank you because, I mean, I would not have been able to... like you make it seem so easy.”

“Okay, yeah. Thank you, Clarke.”

“No, no. Thank _you_ , Lexa.” Clarke smiled at her and it felt like a real smile and for the first time since they’d gotten into the U-Haul, it felt less awkward, like the air around them was changing maybe and perhaps, Lexa considered, maybe they could be friends, at least.

Twenty minutes more and Lexa had pulled off the highway in search of the Red Lobster. Clarke had sent a quick text to her mother to let her know they’d be a bit delayed before she climbed her way out of the truck and landed with a thud on the black pavement parking lot. The restaurant was dimly lit and very nearly empty - it was eerie and Lexa felt unease rush through her. She managed to follow Clarke and the hostess to their table, but her eyes were focused on the empty tables all around them.

Thankfully, once they had ordered and Clarke knew food was on its way, they managed an actual conversation that gave Lexa something else to focus on.

“So, the pool house is actually pretty nice. It was originally like an in-law suite or whatever you call them, but mom had it re-done when we moved in. There’s two bedrooms, oh and it has wi-fi so we can still attend classes, however in the world that is gonna work.”

“That’s great, Clarke. I really appreciate this.”

“Okay, enough of that,” Clarke smiled. “It’s fine, no worries. But I do have a pretty serious question for you.”

_Yikes_. “Uh... okay?”

“It has a little kitchenette, but like, okay as much as I _love_ eating food, I super suck at cooking it. So, please be able to... can you cook?”

Clarke’s eyes were big and hopeful and _so blue_ and Lexa melted a little bit. The corners of her lips twitched and she smiled at Clarke.

“As a matter of fact, I can,” Lexa replied cooly and Clarke smiled a giant, toothy grin that gave Lexa a funny feeling in her stomach and she was not going to spend another minute thinking about what _that_ meant.

“Perfect! That’s... that is really good news.” Clarke smiled at Lexa again before eyeing the cheddar biscuits that had been set down in front them. “Oh God, these are my favorite food on the planet!” Clarke grabbed a biscuit and sunk her teeth into it. Her eyes were closed and she let out an almost moan that made Lexa squirm a bit in her seat.

“Oh, definitely,” Lexa agreed, awkwardly, trying to quell the desire bubbling up from somewhere deep inside - and failing. She watched Clarke lick her lips, focused on the little beauty mark above her mouth, watched her eyes close again as she swallowed another bite, and the sounds she made, _God_. Lexa shook her head, scolded herself internally for staring, and shoved an entire biscuit into her mouth to keep from saying something stupid.

_________

Clarke opened her eyes just in time to watch Lexa shove an _entire_ biscuit into her mouth. Clarke couldn’t help the laughter that escaped her throat.

“Are you in a hurry, Lex?” She couldn’t help that nickname from escaping, either.

“No, jusht ruhlly lub biskitts.” With a mouth full of food, Lexa struggled to say actual words, but Clarke caught the gist.

“Same, I just, I tend to eat like a little bit of it at a time,” Clarke laughed again. _God_ Lexa looked so _adorable_ with those chipmunk cheeks that had turned a pretty shade of pink.

The food arrived to the table quicker than usual, much to Clarke’s delight. She watched as Lexa twirled linguine noodles around her fork with practiced precision, her long delicate fingers moving expertly around the handle as she did. Clarke gulped down a lump in her throat she didn’t even know had formed there. She grabbed her glass of water and chugged it quickly, too quickly - she started sputtering, sort of choking, and almost immediately Lexa was at her side. She started rubbing circles on Clarke’s back, she asked if Clarke was okay a couple of times, but Clarke couldn’t reply out loud. _No. Yes. I do not know!_

“Clarke, for real, are you okay?” Lexa sounded worried. Clarke had to pull it together. _Say something!_

Clarke coughed before, “I’m... I’m okay, I’m fine,” she coughed again.

“What happened? You seemed sorta lost in thought and then... Well, then this - ” Lexa gestured to the mess that was Clarke Griffin.

“I was thinking, I... about, um - ” _your fingers_. “I don’t even remember,” Clarke laughed awkwardly. She popped a shrimp into her mouth for good measure and looked at Lexa with reassuring eyes. _I’m totally fine._

“Okay, if you’re sure you’re okay...” Lexa eyed Clarke suspiciously but Clarke nodded and Lexa accepted it as an answer and started to eat again.

Clarke crunched on her popcorn shrimp as quietly as she could and tried to ignore the heat creeping up her cheeks. It wasn’t a secret that she thought Lexa was hot, but after getting to know her, Clarke thought for sure that attraction, those _feelings_ , had passed. But then... Had she ever actually gotten to know Lexa? _No_. In fact, this was probably, definitely, the most time they’d ever actually spent together. _And it’s nice_.

“You know, I’ve never actually had popcorn shrimp,” Lexa offered in an attempt to continue their easy conversation.

“What?” Clarke looked at Lexa in utter disbelief. “No way, not possible!”

“No, it’s true. I was a pretty picky eater growing up. The idea of shrimp that tasted like popcorn was just... not appealing to me, at all.”

“Lexa!” Clarke gasped. “It doesn’t _taste_ like popcorn!”

“I mean, I know that now! But that’s why I never tried it and then, well, when I eat here I always get the pasta. I love the pasta and I mean, I might like popcorn shrimp, but I know I love the pasta,” Lexa reasoned and it made sense to Clarke, but it was not acceptable.

“Here,” Clarke offered her plate to Lexa who shook her head. “No, I’m serious.”

“I’m not going to eat off of your plate, Clarke. That’s not why I told you, it wasn’t to get you to give me your food,” Lexa looked away like she’d made a mistake in bringing it up or something.

“Okay, cool. Open your mouth then,” Clarke picked up a shrimp and pulled her arm back. “Lexa, open!” She aimed the shrimp and waited for Lexa to comply.

“Cla - ” If Lexa was going to protest, Clarke didn’t wait for it to happen. She saw the opening and she took it; Clarke sent the shrimp sailing across the table and it landed perfectly inside Lexa’s mouth right on the tip of her tongue. _Oh_.

Lexa closed her mouth around the shrimp with surprise. Clarke waited with baited breath as Lexa crunched and pondered the flavor in her mouth.

“Well?”

“It doesn’t taste like popcorn at all!” Lexa replied, laughing a little bit. “I was not prepared for that, by the way. A little farther back and we could have both ended up choking today.” Lexa quirked a brow at Clarke.

“I wouldn’t do that to you, Lex.” _Unless you wanted me to. Ah! Stop!_ “But you didn’t answer me. Did you like it?”

“Actually, yeah. It wasn’t bad.” Lexa smiled at Clarke and she felt something weird in her belly because it was so pure and pretty and the way Lexa’s eyes lit up when she smiled a real, genuine smile was like looking at a masterpiece, the kind of art they put in museums and have entire exhibits around because it’s just _that_ _beautiful_. Clarke pushed the thought away.

“Something has been bugging me, though.” Clarke leveled Lexa with a serious look. “You hate popcorn, don’t you?”

“I... what?”

“I’m totally serious right now! The second week, it was a Thursday I think, in our dorm, I offered you popcorn. I was watching a movie and I was like ‘hey, come sit and watch this with me’ and I offered you popcorn and you looked totally appalled and were like ‘um no’ and then I shrugged and ate the whole bowl myself.”

“That’s not exactly how I remember it!”

“Doesn’t matter, because then just now, you said you wouldn’t eat a popcorn flavored shrimp, but you clearly eat shrimp, so... it’s popcorn, isn’t it? You hate popcorn!”

________

_It was after eight p.m. when Clarke came bounding into their dorm room. Lexa had already gotten into bed; she was reading the next chapter for her nine a.m. class, and did not want to miss any detail. It was the hardest class she had had to date - she failed the first pop quiz already - and if she couldn’t figure it out, she would risk losing her scholarship. Clarke was happy and carefree - Lexa envied her for that._

_“What’s up, roomie? Wanna come watch a movie? I have a ton of them in my cloud-thing.” Clarke tossed her backpack onto her bed and pulled her massive bin of snacks out from under it. The rummaging was loud and distracting and Lexa let out a huff of annoyance._

_“I’m studying right now,” she replied._

_Clarke didn’t pay her much attention as she beep-boop-beeped the microwave buttons and started popping a bag of popcorn. She set a large empty bowl on top of the microwave and waited rather impatiently for the popcorn to finish. “Oh, lemme change real quick.”_

_Lexa wasn’t listening to Clarke. She was doing her best to drown out the sounds coming from the other side of their small dorm room so she could retain the information she’d read three times already._

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

_Clarke fumbled out of her jeans and hopped over to the microwave to retrieve her bag of popcorn. It smelled amazing. Lexa glanced up and_ oh no _Clarke wasn’t wearing anything but light blue panties and a skimpy tank top and_ fuck _Lexa could absolutely positively not handle that right now._

_“Lex? Movie? Popcorn?” Clarke patted a spot on the bed next to her and Lexa knew she should at least try to be nice to her new roommate, but there was no way her heart could ever forgive her if she allowed herself to get close to Clarke, Clarke who was easily the most beautiful girl Lexa had ever seen in her whole entire life, Clarke who was sitting on her bed with so much skin on display that Lexa’s fingers would just be itching to touch, Clarke who had eyes like the sky on a perfect summer day, warm and inviting and_ No! Absolutely not.

_“It’s Lexa. And no, thank you. I’m studying.”_

_Clarke shrugged away the disappointment and focused on the movie instead of the sting of rejection. And Lexa, Lexa fought past the sandpaper dry thing her throat was doing to swallow and read the chapter again for what felt like the hundredth time that day._

_______

“I actually do like popcorn. But that day, when you asked me... I had to study.”

“Right, I remember you saying that.” A pang of hurt flashed across her eyes, but she looked at the table so Lexa might not see it.

“That class, my nine a.m. class, I was totally bombing and I was at risk of losing my scholarship. That’s why,” _that, and you were nearly naked and I’m too gay for that._ “I just really needed to do well.”

“Oh,” Clarke sounded surprised. “I feel like you could have said that, then. Like, this whole time I kinda thought you hated me or something and I feel like maybe we could have gotten along... better... I mean this has been super nice - okay, it’s been super okay... hanging out with you.”

“I mean, I guess I could have, but... I didn’t even know you - I still don’t, I guess - and I didn’t feel comfortable blabbing about my failure to a stranger.”

“But I wasn’t a _stranger_ , Lex. I’m your roommate.”

“Mmhmm... I’m not sure I see the difference.”

“Oh, ouch!” And Clarke suddenly looked rejected all over again and that was not at all what Lexa meant by that.

“No, no Clarke, I’m sorry. That, it didn’t come out right - I... Clarke, I grew up in the system, okay? Like, shitty foster situation after the next and it’s just... It’s hard for me to let people in.” Lexa didn’t open up about her past and she knew that even though Clarke knew Lexa didn’t have anywhere to go, Clarke didn’t know _why_.

“Oh,” was all that escaped from Clarke’s mouth. She didn’t look upset or like she was pitying Lexa, but there was something in the flash of her blue eyes... _understanding_? “Well, then I’m sorry, Lex. Not like... I’m not sorry _for_ you, I’m just... I’m sorry I didn’t know, I’m sorry I didn’t try _harder_ to be your friend.”

_Oh_. That was unexpected and Lexa didn’t know what to say, what to do with that information. Maybe she had been all wrong about Clarke. Maybe there were people in the world who were just... _nice_.

The bill came and Clarke paid it. An awkward but not entirely uncomfortable silence had settled between them. She gestured toward the door and Lexa just nodded. Her head was spinning with Clarke’s admission and she couldn’t figure out what it meant.

Lexa loved Costia with every fiber of her being, but even Costia had looked at Lexa with pity when she told Cos all about growing up in the system. Even now, Lexa couldn’t help but wonder if that was why Costia had said they would try long-distance, because she was afraid Lexa was too fragile for the truth. But Lexa wasn’t fragile and she didn’t need anyone’s pity.

The rain had stopped and the clouds were fluffy and white in the bright blue sky. If they got back on the road now, they could be to Clarke’s mom’s house by 5:30 or 6. Lexa stopped in the parking lot short of the truck, but Clarke didn’t notice. Lexa breathed in deeply and reached for Clarke’s arm before she could get into the U-Haul.

“Thank you,” Lexa said. “For, just... um, thank you.”

Clarke gave Lexa a shy smile that spoke volumes. Lexa tried to suck in a breath again, but her lungs had temporarily stopped working - she was lost in eyes that were as blue as the sky above, basking in the warmth she saw in them, floating in a feeling she had never felt before, and it was comforting and alarming all at once.

“Well,” Clarke finally spoke, “Thank you for telling me the truth. Because,” she added, “I was seriously going to dread quarantining alone with you if we couldn’t share some popcorn, at least.” She rolled her eyes playfully and Lexa smiled again. She could get used to that. _Smiling_.

___________

“Sooo,” Clarke drawled, “Twenty questions?”

“What?” Lexa glanced over at Clarke, but quickly focused her eyes back on the road.

“Right, well we did decide that we don’t really know each other so, I mean, we’ve got three hours to kill. We could play twenty questions or something,” Clarke suggested.

Lexa had opened up to her in the restaurant and for the first time, Clarke felt like she maybe did know Lexa, a little bit. And she definitely wanted to know _more_. And that in and of itself kind of freaked her out because if she did get to know Lexa, and if Lexa really was more like the girl she’d been hanging out with all day and less like the stuck-up version she’d cemented into her brain then... the physical attraction would surely become... _something else_. And even though Clarke knew it was a bad idea, she couldn’t seem to resist the pull she felt, the need to know more about the beautiful brunette sitting next to her with a quizzical kind of smirk playing at her full, pink lips.

“Okay, Clarke. You go first.”

“Oh,” she hadn’t actually prepared anything. _Shit_. “Right. So... what is your major, anyway?”

“Political Science.”

“Ooh, I like it. That suits you. I could see it, President Lexa Woods, Commander-in-Chief. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, actually.”

Lexa laughed. “I’m not sure I’d go that far, maybe more grassroots than that, but I mean, I’m not opposed.” Lexa shrugged a cocky sort of shrug and Clarke let it roll around in her brain for a moment. _Commander Lexa_. Yeah, no that thought would have to wait. “What about you?”

“Ugh, I don’t know! I started out pre-Med, like my mom, but there’s just so much _homework_ and I think I was just doing it for her, you know? Like honestly, blood and guts are not my favorite thing and the thought of being _covered in blood_ all day long, it just... yuck.”

“But you’re a sophomore, right? You at least have an idea by now, don’t you?” It didn’t sound judgmental, maybe worried, like Lexa wasn’t sure she could handle dating a fifth-year senior or something. _What?_ Nobody said anything about dating and Clarke scolded herself for even thinking that.

“Uh,” Clarke forced the idea from her mind and continued, “I like art. A lot. And I mean, I’m not trying to be a starving artist or anything, but I think I could like _teaching_ art, like to kids you know? Because I don’t know if I’m going to have any, kids I mean, or if I even want them, but like, I like kids. So, maybe that.”

“I could see that,” Lexa smiled.

They continued the game for another hour and it flowed seamlessly, like they were old friends, like they had inside jokes, like they had known each other for years or maybe even lifetimes, and Clarke wondered if that was possible - to know someone before you knew them, because this day with Lexa was comfortable and weird because it shouldn’t be, but it was, and Clarke liked it a lot.

“Okay, okay,” Lexa laughed. “But you didn’t actually answer the question! You’ve just been teasing me about mine for the last twenty minutes!”

“But it’s just so _cute_ , Lexa! I can just imagine you sitting in front of the TV with literal _hearteyes_ watching Ariel swim around like ‘this is it, she is the love of my life’ and I’m pretty sure I have that movie on my cloud-thing, so we are definitely watching it.”

“You asked me who my first crush was and I answered it. The Little Mermaid was totally hot, Clarke.” Lexa huffed a little bit, but Clarke knew she wasn’t actually upset. “And you can’t even act like you haven’t had a crush on a cartoon - everybody does, I think.”

“I mean, Simba was oddly sexy, I suppose.”

“He’s an _animal_ , Clarke! At least Ariel is a human!”

“Um, not until the end, Lexa. She is literally half a fish.”

“Well, whatever. Her human top-half is pretty spectacular.” Lexa smirked and Clarke felt it in her core. That smirk may very well be the death of her.

“So, that’s it then? You’re a boob-girl?” Clarke was only a little bit curious. She’d seen Lexa check out her twins on more than one occasion, but it was the flush of pink that dusted Lexa’s cheeks and tinged her tiny ears that really made Clarke ask the question. Because when Lexa blushed, God it was _adorable_.

“Ha - I, uh... I mean, I like your ass, too.” And it was out before Lexa realized what she had said, but her right hand flew off the wheel and clasped over her mouth and her eyes were wide with panic and Clarke just sat back and watched the internal struggle happening in the driver’s seat with amusement.

“Same,” she said, to put Lexa a little out of her misery, but also because it was true and they had spent the day being open and honest with each other, after all. And it made Lexa blush ever harder and Clarke really liked that look on her.

But Lexa gathered herself more quickly than Clarke had anticipated. “Oh yeah? You’re also a fan of your ass?”

“Oh, totally. I look at it in the mirror like, ten times a day,” Clarke quipped back and they both just laughed away the awkward tension that had come with the accidental admission. _Is this what it feels like to be friends with Lexa?_ Raven and Clarke were certainly flirty with each other, but it felt different than the flirty banter she had with Lexa, and it wasn’t because of a lack of attraction - Raven was totally hot, Clarke knew that, but the chemistry she had with Raven was nothing like... with Lexa, the sparks she felt whizzing around in the air between them now in the U-Haul, it was exhilarating and not entirely unwelcome.

“You still didn’t answer the question.”

“I’m not sure I remember a first crush, though. Like, a real one, I mean. Not a cartoon. It’s always been a bit confusing in here,” Clarke pointed at her head. “Because I liked boys, and I knew what that meant, but I had these weird feelings for girls, too, and I had no explanation for those. I didn’t even figure out I was bisexual until my senior year of high school, and I didn’t act on it until after graduation. But, if I really think about it, it was probably my kindergarten teacher. She had long brown hair and freckles and she always smelled like peaches. I don’t think I ever liked another teacher as much as I liked her, so... that’s probably why,” Clarke shrugged.

“Yeah, my sixth grade teacher was a babe, I get that. I’d definitely have had a crush on you, if you were my teacher. If you become one, I mean... be prepared for that.”

“Yeah? Well, to be fair, you’d be the hottest President. _Ever._ If you did go that route.”

Lexa full on grinned at Clarke and it caused heart palpitations because she had never seen anything so striking and brilliant and _perfect_ in all of her time on Earth. _Whoa_. It made Clarke question every interaction they had up to this moment because oh God, if Lexa had been this open and carefree from the beginning, Clarke would definitely already be in love with her. _What?_

__________

Clarke’s childhood home was beautiful and Lexa couldn’t even fathom living in a house that large. The white siding was met by layered blue and gray bricks about halfway up the side of the first floor and there were tall columns at the front door that held up a balcony. The driveway was wide and it took them to a two-car garage on the right side of the house. Lexa was careful not to park near the grass - it was a deep shade of green that told Lexa the grass was as much a part of the grandeur as the home itself - there was a feeling of pride you could sense, having a home this perfect.

“Wow, Clarke. You grew up here?” Lexa’s eyes were wide as she took it all in. The front door was a deep mahogany and it was a stark but welcome contrast to the white of the rest of the exterior. It was really beautiful.

“Yeah. Exhausting, right?”

“What? No! How could you say that? It’s, this house is amazing.”

“Oh, right. Sure, she looks good on the outside, but if you so much as step a toe on that grass, oh girl - it isn’t pretty.” Thank God Lexa had been careful pulling up, then.

“Okay, but Clarke-”

“No, I totally get it. It’s just, actually living here, with all of the pomp and glory, as a kid, there isn’t much _fun_ you can have when most of the stuff inside is for looking and not touching. That’s all. It’s been in the family for ages. Mom inherited it from her parents and they were like all-in on the old-money pride thing. Mom isn’t like that, though. But, she works a lot so it never really made sense to change anything.”

Lexa nodded. She understood, but it was hard not to imagine that growing up here would have been a dream compared the cramped two bedroom apartment she shared with two foster sisters and her foster parents. Maybe Clarke couldn’t play on the grass, but at least she had grass to look at. Lexa’s view was of a parking lot with beat up rusted automobiles.

“Oh, hang on, let me call her real quick and let her know we made it! Clarke pulled her mother’s contact info up on her phone and pushed ‘Call’ and then ‘Speaker.’

Abby’s voice was warm, like Clarke’s, and Lexa imagined she was probably pretty, too, like Clarke. _Ugh_.

“You’re on speaker, Mom. We just pulled up.”

_“You made it! Great! Hello, Lexa!”_

“Uh, hello Mrs... Doctor Griffin,” Lexa spoke into the phone awkwardly.

_“Call me, Abby, hon. Listen, this pandemic has been a mess, okay, so I need you both to listen to me about this - do not, under any circumstances, go into the main house. You hear me? Clarke.”_

“I know, Mom. We have to quarantine for two weeks, we both know.”

_“It’s just a precaution, Clarke, but I can’t risk it. You could both be carriers and not feel any symptoms and the hospital is full of people, you know, and some of them have very compromised immune systems. Speaking of, Lexa, are you immune-compromised in any way?”_

“No ma’am, I’m healthy.”

“So healthy, mom. She eats like protein bars and vegetables.”

Clarke motioned for Lexa to grab a bag and follow her around past the garage toward the backyard. The pool house was also huge, larger than the apartment Lexa grew up in for sure, and it had the same white siding as the rest of the house, but the main door was a simple French-style door with dark blue trim that matched the color of the roof.

_“Are you at the pool house yet? I left a jug of hand sanitizer by the door, use it! I’m going to have groceries delivered to you, so if there is anything you need, or want, just shoot me a text and I will make sure you get it. I did stock up the fridge and pantry in there so you should be okay to last a day or two, what with your appetite for snacks, and-”_

“Jeez, breathe Mom! We’re here, we found the sanitizer, we ate a couple of hours ago so we’re okay for now.”

Clarke held the bottle out for Lexa to get some of the sanitizer, then used it herself before opening the doors to the pool house. Lexa followed her inside and looked around at everything. There were beach-themed paintings hanging on the interior walls. A small yellow loveseat sat opposite a TV that was hanging on the wall and two yellow chairs were around a coffee table littered with magazines. The kitchen was white but the appliances were stainless steel - it was a _very nice_ pool house and Lexa couldn’t help but wonder what the inside of the main house looked like - probably like a million dollars, or more.

Clarke came to a stop at the end of the narrow hallway. There were two doors in front of her. She gestured to the door on the left, but didn’t say anything. Her mother was still rambling on so Lexa nodded politely and opened the door to - a yoga studio?

_______

Clarke opened the door to her bedroom (for the next two weeks, anyway) and set her duffel on the bed. Her mom was rambling on about some hospital administrator and white tape and Clarke wasn’t fully listening anymore because they still had a lot left to unload and-

Her thoughts were interrupted by Lexa who was standing in her doorway with a very confused look on her face. Clarke tilted her chin up at Lexa, ‘what?’ but Lexa just stood there, eyebrows knitted and trash bag of clothes in her hand. Clarke moved past Lexa to see if she could discern the issue for herself since Lexa had gone mute and -

“Um, Mom. Let me stop you right there. What happened to the other bedroom?”

_“Oh, sorry! I forgot to tell you. I’ve been doing some renovations. I didn’t see the need for that other bedroom in there, I’m not as prude as my parents were, and you’re the only one who ever uses the pool house bedroom anyway. So, I turned the spare into a yoga studio! My own little room of zen!”_

“And it didn’t occur to you to tell me that when I said Lexa was coming along?” Clarke gritted her teeth, not out of anger, but out of frustration because, well, where was Lexa supposed to sleep? Clarke had offered to bring her along because Lexa needed a place to stay and because Clarke had a place she could stay... and a bed... of her own.

_“Oh! Well, Clarke I don’t know, I just assumed you girls could share!”_

They stared at the full-size mattress in the bedroom with wide eyes. Lexa gulped. Clarke gulped.

“Yep,” Clarke squeaked out as her phone clattered to the floor. _Oh, oh no, oh no, no, no._


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My obnoxious son would not stop meowing at 5 a.m. because he was lonely or because he’s a cat and therefore he’s a jerk, but anyway, I could not go back to sleep, so here’s an update earlier than I had planned.
> 
> Hope you like it!

They stood in silence for several minutes. Abby’s voice came through the phone and broke Clarke out of her trance enough for her to pick the phone up, say goodbye to her mother, and end the call. But Lexa, Lexa had still been standing stock-still, immobile, eyes darting back and forth around the room while her brain tried to process the idea of sharing a bed with Clarke. Lexa gulped again.

At any other point in time, it would have been completely fine (sure) because Lexa didn’t really _like_ Clarke before... But now, after getting to see a different side of Clarke... Of course, Lexa knew Clarke was hot, but there was no risk she might act on her attraction when she thought Clarke was an obnoxious party girl who skated through classes with no worries at all. _That_ Clarke was easy to look at, but there was no risk because it was completely superficial and Lexa just wasn’t that kind of person. But _this_ Clarke, the one she’d been getting to know all day, was charming and funny and actually pretty sweet and Lexa had already accidentally said things she never meant to say out loud because being around _this_ Clarke was intoxicating and wonderful and _oh no._

“I can just sleep on the couch, Clarke,” Lexa offered, weakly.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Lexa. That is a loveseat. It’s big enough for your torso, sure, but you’re legs would just be... hanging off the edge. And it wouldn’t be comfortable. At all.”

“Well, I’m not sure what el-”

“No, it’s fine. We can share. The bed, I mean, not the couch. We can share the bed.”

“Are you sure? Clarke, it’s really okay. The couch is-”

“I’m sure. I’m sorry, I... I didn’t know she had renovated when I invited you, I mean, not that I would have _not_ invited you if I had known, because you needed somewhere to go anyway, and I’m... rambling. I do that, when I get nervous.” _She’s nervous?_

“I mean, if you’re sure... ” If Clarke was sure, Lexa would have to be, too. She couldn’t exactly say, ‘I think being that close to you all night long might give me a stroke or force my heart to beat itself right out of my chest,’ but Clarke hesitated and maybe... maybe she was nervous the same way Lexa was and what would that mean?

“I’m sure. I’m as sure as I’m gonna be. So, let’s get the rest of our stuff and settle in. Yeah?”

Lexa nodded. She watched Clarke walk briskly out the door and followed behind; she tried really hard not to watch Clarke walk, not to see the way her jeans hugged those delicious curves, not to think about what would happen when Clarke pulled them off later that night and climbed into bed next to Lexa. _Fuck_.

After two trips, they had the contents of the U-Haul emptied and laid out on the floor in the living room pushed against the wall. Abby told Clarke earlier she would get someone to return the U-Haul for them so they could remain in quarantine, alone, together, in the pool house.

All of the ease of their earlier conversations was gone, replaced by a tension that neither of them could name, and it made unpacking awkward. Clarke bumped into Lexa when she moved over to the dresser and she apologized three times for it, something that, under normal circumstances, wouldn’t have phased either of them. Lexa dropped her hair brush and apologized to Clarke when it landed by her feet and Lexa had to bend down very near to Clarke’s... ( _don’t look up, don’t look up_ ) to pick it up. Lexa unpacked as quickly as possible and excused herself to the living room.

She heard Clarke’s phone chirping in the other room, but she picked up a magazine from the table and tried to drown everything out, including her own thoughts. She couldn’t help but hear some of the conversation despite her best efforts not to.

“Hey Raven, you’re on speaker. I’m unpacking.”

“ _Oh, cool. So you made it then? I was worried about you driving that U-Haul, honestly._ ”

“Oh, uh, about that. I didn’t drive it, actually.”

“ _What? Who did?_ ”

“Um... Lexa.”

Lexa tried, she really tried, to ignore the call, but when she heard her name - it was futile.

“ _Lexa, you’re totally hot but super stuck up roommate, Lexa?”_

“Shhh, Raven! I never said she was-”

“ _Oh man, that is excellent! At least you won’t be alone, then. But it’s a bummer you have two bedrooms in that pool house. I know how much you wanna hate-bang that hottie!”_

“Raven!” Clarke sounded mortified. “About that, too... Apparently Mom turned the other bedroom into a yoga studio, so...”

“ _OhmyGod! There’s only one bed!There’s only one bed, wow. Wait... Are you gonna do it? Are you finally gonna make a move on Lexa Woods?”_

“Raven, would you stop? Seriously. Help me.”

“ _Help you with what? Clarke, now is not really the time for me to explain the birds and the bees to you.”_

“I know how it works, you ass! I mean... with Lexa, about... because I’ve been getting to know her today, and I was - I might have been totally wrong about her and now-”

“ _Holy shit, did you catch feels_?” Raven nearly shouted, completely taken aback by Clarke’s admission.

“Be quiet! I told you you’re on speaker!”

“ _Sorry, sorry. It just surprised me. Um... okay, well I mean, what do you want from me? Because my advice would be-”_

“I know what your advice would be, Rae. But I just think, I mean, we might actually be friends now and I don’t want to mess that up by being, well...”

“ _The bisexual disaster I know and love?_ ”

“Exactly.”

“ _I don’t really know what to tell you. All I know is what I’ve heard from you, so... Hey, let me talk to her!_ ”

“Absolutely not!”

“ _LEXA_!” Raven shouted. “ _ARE YOU OUT THERE, LEXA? CAN YOU HEAR ME?_ ”

“Raven!” Clarke sounded furious.

Lexa stood and walked over to the doorway. She stood there, trying not to give away that she’d heard their entire conversation, and looked at Clarke with wide eyes that she hoped would not betray her.

“Yes?” Lexa’s voice was quiet and shy.

“There you go, Rae. She’s here. She heard your big mouth from the other room.” She didn’t look as furious as she sounded, maybe embarrassed and a little bit exasperated, but not angry.

“ _Lexa, cool. I’m gonna get sentimental for a minute, okay? I know you guys haven’t always gotten along, but Clarke is my best friend so, if you could, please, take care of her_ ,” Raven paused and Clarke let herself smile at the sentiment. But then, Raven added, “ _Take... care of her... If you know what I mean,_ ” Raven cackled in the background.

“RAVEN!” Clarke looked properly furious now. “You are officially not my best friend! Anymore!”

Lexa tried to be mad for Clarke, but Raven was laughing hysterically in the background and it was hard not to laugh along. She looked at Clarke for a moment. She had pulled her hair up into a messy bun and, despite the daggers she was sending to her phone, she still looked really... _beautiful_.

“ _I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I was kidding, anyway. I’m serious, though, like. Be safe, both of you.”_

Lexa gathered up the confidence she could and snarked back at the girl. “Don’t worry, Raven. I’ll make sure she’s _very_ well taken care of.” Lexa smirked at Clarke and watched Clarke’s cheeks burn a deep shade of red. But then. Clarke shot back a smirk of her own, one eyebrow titled up just enough to imply... _something_ and Lexa’s throat went dry instantly. Lexa coughed and backed slowly out of the bedroom so Clarke could finish up her call.

“ _Oh, I like her. You should definitely go for it, Griff. If you don’t, I will!”_

“Ugh, okay bye Raven!” Clarke ended the call and walked out to the living room where Lexa was sitting on the couch lost in thought. She sat on the side opposite Lexa and apologized for her asshole best friend. “I’m so, so sorry about her.”

“It’s okay,” Lexa let out a small laugh. “She seems really fun.”

_______

“Um... how much, how much of that did your hear?” Clarke didn’t really want to know, but she had to ask. She had to hope the answer would be ‘very little’ or ‘just the part when Raven shouted for me’ but that comment Lexa had made... about taking care of her... and if she had heard everything, _Oh God._

“Enough,” Lexa shrugged and that little smirk pulled up at the corner of her mouth and yes, that _look_ would absolutely be the death of her.

“Oh God,” Clarke grumbled and shoved her head into her hands. She would stay buried there as long as possible, as long as it took for the heat flooding her neck and face to dissipate, long enough to gain what little composure she could muster to face Lexa.

“It’s fine, Clarke, really,” Lexa sounded amused and Clarke could let the Earth swallow her up whole right now. “Just one question, though. _Hate-bang_?”

“No, no, no.” It was settled then. Clarke would never ever come up for air again. She would remain buried in her hands until the end of time.

“It’s really okay. I promise,” Lexa said reassuringly as she placed a hand on Clarke’s thigh.

Lexa must have noticed Clarke’s sharp intake of breath at the touch because she pulled her hand away as quickly as she had placed it there. It was definitely safer that Lexa had removed her hand, but Clarke couldn’t help thinking the loss of contact felt... _worse_ , somehow. But she couldn’t dissect that right then because Lexa knew, she _knew_ and -

“So, um... should we watch a movie, or something?”Lexa offered, and it was enough to bring Clarke back to the present.

“Oh, _now_ you wanna watch a movie with me?”

“Yeah, well. I’m assuming you have popcorn in that massive snack bin of yours. And, since we’re friends now, I just thought... I’d take you up on that offer to watch a movie.”

_Friends_. Exactly, they were friends now. Clarke could handle that. Clarke was an adult, after all, and just because she _wanted_ to ravage the girl sitting politely next to her on the couch, it didn’t mean she would be foolish enough to act on it. She had self-control, after all.

Clarke turned the TV on and searched the guide for something, _anything_ they could watch. If she could find something to distract them both, maybe the day could be salvaged and her heart could calm the fuck down and beat normally.

“Here,” Clarke handed Lexa the remote and stood up. “I’m going to make the popcorn if you wanna find something to watch. I’m not picky.”

_______

Once they settled on the couch, the air between them seemed to relax a bit. Lexa stayed firmly on her side of the couch as did Clarke. Lexa resolved herself not to ask any more questions about what she’d heard, even though she had a _lot_ of them. Like was there more to the flirting Clarke had been doing with her? Was it more than friendly? Because sure, Clarke was a flirtatious kind of person, and Lexa knew that, but did she want to hate-bang many people or was it just Lexa? And what exactly was a hate-bang? Did Clarke actually, at one point in time at least, _really_ hate her? Because Clarke didn’t seem like the kind of girl who _hated_ anyone, and if she was, then had Lexa read her all wrong? And if it wasn’t serious, did Clarke want to bang Lexa at all? And why ‘bang?’ Surely if they did... _do more_... Clarke wouldn’t seriously tell Raven they ‘banged’ would she? _Stop_.

Lexa tried not to dwell on any of it. Instead she resumed the casual conversation from their mini road-trip, asking about Clarke’s hobbies and talking about her own. If they were friends, and it felt like they were, then Lexa was going to do her best to make sure Clarke was comfortable around her. _Not too comfortable_ because Lexa was sure if Clarke started flirting with her again, seriously or not, if she looked at Lexa with that... _that look_ she got, Lexa would lose any self-control she had and -

“Here,” Clarke offered Lexa the bowl of popcorn. She set it snuggly in the middle of the couch, right between them, to ensure they wouldn’t accidentally touch.

Lexa was focused on the movie when she reached for a handful of popcorn, eyes trained on the television, unaware that Clarke had reached in for some as well. The fingers brushed and it felt like she’d been struck by a lightning bolt that shocked her entire system. She sucked in a breath. So did Clarke. _She felt it, too._ Lexa swallowed thickly and took a chance - she looked over at Clarke. Clarke was looking, too. Their eyes met and it was electric and like nothing she’d experienced before.

It could have been minutes or hours, Lexa didn’t know, but she was stuck, staring into the deepest blue, lost in the ocean that was Clarke’s eyes, stranded and sinking in the beauty she found there, and it must have been hours because the sky was darker now and the movie was over and she still couldn’t look away. _Holy whoa._

___________

Clarke didn’t move, either. The air was thick again, surrounding them both with tension they _could_ name but refused to acknowledge. Lexa coughed and it broke them both out of the spell. Clarke jumped off of the couch, desperate for an escape from the thoughts bombarding her mind.

“I’ll get you some water,” Clarke rushed out, the words nearly jumbling together as she made her way into the kitchen. _Holy fucking shit._ She stood in front of the open fridge for a minute or two to catch her breath. How in the world was she supposed to sleep next to Lexa if she couldn’t even sit by her on the couch without... _feeling something_.

She thought about texting Raven, but realized almost immediately that her best friend would just laugh at her predicament and tell her to go back in there and jump Lexa’s bones and that was not the kind of advice she needed. She needed to chill, to calm down and _get a fucking grip._

“Here,” she handed a bottle of water to Lexa who was still sitting in the same spot on the couch, unblinking.

“Oh,” Lexa shook her head and took the bottle from Clarke.

They certainly could not go to bed now, not with all of the tension hanging in the air around them. But the couch didn’t feel safe, either. Board games! That’s it, they could sit at the table and play an incredibly boring, calm, safe game of Scrabble. It would have to do.

“Well, let’s do something else, then. Um, how do you feel about Scrabble?”

“Nice, that’s a nice safe - game, it’s a nice game. Just game. Okay!”

Clarke smiled. At least she wasn’t alone in this. “Good, I’ll get it, if you wanna sit, um, at the table,” she gestured to the small round table sitting just beside a large window that looked directly out to the pool.

“I’ll do that,” Lexa said. Her voice was a bit shaky like she was still struggling to pull in air.

Clarke grabbed the board game from the bookshelf in the living room. It was old and a bit dusty, not something she’d thought of in years but was thankful for right now. She climbed into the seat across from Lexa, a good safe distance between them, and pulled the board out of the box.

Lexa scattered the tiles while Clarke set up the small wooden trays in front of each of them.

Lexa started the game with DUCK that Clarke quickly added an S to earning an eye roll from the brunette across the table. From the S, Lexa played SHOT and Clarke grinned as she made the word SHOTS. Lexa shot a playful glare Clarke’s way and then played the word BLACK off of the K and waited for Clarke to make a move. Clarke laughed when she saw it - it was too easy. She placed the letters down off of the B and kept laughing. BOOB.

“What are you, twelve?” Lexa asked, a playful lilt to her tone. She quirked at brow at Clarke and added an S. BOOBS.

“Hey, that’s my thing!” Clarke scoffed and looked at her letters.

“Is it?” Lexa shot her a smirk, one of those devilishly good-looking smirks, and Clarke took an unsteady breath.

She played SAND off of the S Lexa had placed and wondered if the game was really as safe as she thought it would be.

They played cautiously after that. Lexa made DEAR and Clarke placed CAR. It went on like that, a PG game of Scrabble, until the board was mostly full and they were both grasping at straws to make words. Clarke had BUTT, but she didn’t play it. Instead, she added a K above one of the O’s in BOOBS.

“Ko? What is a ko?”

“No, it’s K.O. As in knockout.”

“That’s not a word, Clarke. It has to be a word.”

“Says who?”

“Says the Scrabble rules!”

“Well, I say it’s a word so it’s your turn,” Clarke smiled cheekily at Lexa who was shaking her head.

“I didn’t know you’d be such a cheat!”

Clarke gasped. “I do not cheat.” Clarke didn’t mean for it to come out so sincerely and she didn’t realize that she wasn’t talking about Scrabble, either. She would never do that, because the kind of pain she’d felt when Finn...

Lexa must have realized it, too, because she placed the final S at the end Clarke’s word. “Fine, then K.O.s is also a word,” she snarked.

“It is,” Clarke agreed. “As in many knockouts.”

“Mmhmm,” Lexa rolled her eyes but she let it go.

Clarke looked up at the clock on the wall behind her and noticed it was nearly midnight. It wasn’t like they had to be up early or anything, but her body felt tired and she thought maybe if they went to sleep now, it would be okay.

“Um, I think I’m tired,” she spoke softly. “Should we,” Clarke motioned her hand toward the back bedroom.

“Yeah, okay.”

Lexa folded the board and slid the tiles into the box. Clarke picked up the wooden trays and put them in the box before closing the lid and setting it back on the bookshelf. She took her time getting everything cleaned hoping upon hope that Lexa would be changed and under the covers before she got to the bedroom.

______

Lexa climbed into bed and waited for Clarke to join her. She laid on her side facing the wall and squeezed her eyes shut. She could not risk seeing Clarke in anything less than what she’d had on today. She would not survive it.

Before long, she felt a slight tug on the sheets and the bed sank a bit as Clarke joined her. Were full beds really this small? All Lexa had ever had was a twin bed, but now, with another body so close to hers, _Clarke’s body,_ even the full mattress felt small - like a toddler bed, and she was not sure she’d make it through the entire night without accidentally...

“Good night, Lex,” Clarke said.

“Good night,” she choked out. Lexa did her best to make sure her body was small, her knees were hanging off the edge of the bed and her head was dangerously close to the edge of her pillow, but she felt safer that way, somehow. If she could stay put in the fetal position all night, there would be no way they’d accidentally touch.

Lexa kept her body rigid and tight, hyper aware of the breathing beside her, coming in shallow for awhile before it evened out and Lexa was sure Clarke had fallen asleep. It was only then that she allowed her own shoulders to relax and let sleep overtake her.

_Clarke stepped closer, pushing Lexa against the dresser, brow quirked in a challenge. Lexa felt around dumbly behind her, finding the edge of the dresser and gripping tightly to it. Clarke’s eyes looked dark and hungry and it was all Lexa could do not to give in to the temptation before her._

_“What do you want, Clarke?” Lexa gulped and watched Clarke’s eyes rove up and down her body._

_“Isn’t it obvious?” she asked, stepping closer until their bodies were flush and Lexa could feel Clarke’s breath hot against her face. She sucked in air and waited for Clarke to continue. Clarke held her gaze for a moment before her eyes dropped low to her lips and then back up. “You.”_

_Lexa reached across the space between them and pulled Clarke in for searing kiss and -_

She shot up from her side of the bed in an instant. She was sweating and nervous and the unfamiliar room around her only furthered her discomfort. She shook her head and looked around the room allowing her brain to catch up. She glanced over to the blonde sleeping beside her and felt a pang of guilt for the dream she’d just had. _Fuck_. Clarke was still out cold, thankfully, but Lexa knew there was no going back to sleep for her. The bedside clock said it was just after 6 a.m. _Good_.

Lexa slipped into basketball shorts and a sports bra and decided to check out the yoga room that was meant to be her bedroom. Maybe a good workout could help focus her mind and calm the swirling emotions inside of her. Might help ease the... tension, too.

Lexa did a mostly body weight routine, quiet and careful not to wake Clarke up, made up of push-ups and squats and some work with the medicine ball she found in the corner. She had managed to work up quite the sweat by the time she heard Clarke moving around in the other room.

_________

_Where is Lexa?_ Clarke spread out on the bed and stretched. She blinked the sleep away and looked around the small bedroom. She vaguely remembered Lexa sitting up sometime that morning, but it hadn’t been enough to pull Clarke away from the dream she’d been having... the dream about... _Lexa. Oh no_. Clarke jumped from the bed and grabbed some clothes. A nice cold shower would definitely help.

Pulling the door open, Clarke burst forward, mind racing with images from the dream she’d had, images of Lexa hot and sweaty and -

“Ow!” Clarke collided with Lexa. A very hot and sweaty Lexa. In nothing but shorts and a sports bra. _Oh God._

“Shit, I’m sorry! Are you okay, Clarke?” The way she clicked the k was nothing new, but the things it did to Clarke certainly were, especially after... _that dream_.

“Uh, I’m... ” Clarke struggled to suck in breath. “Yeah, gonna... shower,” she managed. Her eyes moved of their own accord, from the defined V-shape peeking out of the shorts to the cut of Lexa’s abs, the rise and fall of her chest, the bead of sweat trailing down her long, delicate throat and _Holy Hell._

Clarke slammed the bathroom door shut behind her and slid to the floor. How would she survive the next two weeks alone with that goddess? Without... completely wrecking the friendship, the brand new friendship, they’d managed to form. _Idiot_. She couldn’t risk that with her newfound _feelings_. It wasn’t like Lexa would welcome any advance of hers, anyway. Sure, she’d been flirty, but after that phone call with Raven, after everything she heard and knew... if she did have similar... _feelings_ for Clarke, surely she would have said something.

Okay. Clarke could do this. She could be Lexa’s friend. She could set her own shit aside and be an adult. She turned the shower on and stepped inside before the water had actually gotten warm. _Good_. Clarke considered her options. She could use the time in the shower to... take care of the tension in her body. Or she could shower like a normal person who was not currently sharing a bed with the object of their absolute and undying attraction and use the time to get clean... _clean body, clean mind, right?_

So Clarke opted to take a normal, cleansing shower. She tried to scrub away the thoughts of Lexa that were more than friendly and let her mind go blank. She had a million other things she could fill it with, like how was school supposed to work now? Would they be going back anytime soon, or was the semester going to end via Zoom sessions? What was Lexa’s schedule like? Would it conflict with Clarke’s? Would Abby let them into the main house after the two weeks were up? Lexa could have her own room, then... the guest room downstairs, away from Clarke’s childhood bedroom... far enough away that maybe... if she could just survive these two weeks, hold out and not make a total ass of herself... it would be enough to cement their friendship without making it weird.

Clarke wandered into the kitchen after her shower and it smelled amazing. Lexa was cooking breakfast and thank God for that because Clarke was definitely hungry now that she smelled food.

“That smells amazing, Lexa.”

“Oh, thanks. I wasn’t sure what you were in the mood for, so I made chocolate chip pancakes and there’s bacon in the oven.”

“How... I _love_ chocolate chip pancakes. How did you know that?”

“Um... Lucky guess?” Lexa just shrugged and went back to work flipping pancakes. She opened the oven and peeked inside. “Almost done.”

Clarke moved to the cabinets to get plates, but Lexa bumped her shoulder. She looked over to the table and it was already set - two plates, forks, and two steaming cups of coffee.

“Coffee, oh thank God,” Clarke smiled and grabbed the cream and sugar from the counter so she could fix it up.

Clarke couldn’t help the dopey smile from spreading across her face. Because it wasn’t like Lexa had to make breakfast, or set the table, or any of it, really, but she had. Because that was just who Lexa was, thoughtful and kind and far too perfect for Clarke who was mostly just a mess.

“What’s that look for?” Lexa asked. She set the plate of bacon on the table in the middle and the stack of pancakes to the left of it, closer to Clarke.

“Just... thank you, for breakfast.”

“No problem. I’m pretty sure that was part of the deal, anyway. I had to drive and I had to cook.” She smiled at Clarke and it was sincere and Clarke melted a little bit because how was she so wrong about Lexa for so long?

“I didn’t say you _had_ to... ”

“No, that’s true, but I didn’t think your mom would be happy if she came home and found the pool house in ruins because you _tried_.”

“Oh very funny,” Clarke gave Lexa a playful glare. “I’m not _that_ bad... We have cereal.”

They both laughed. The rest of breakfast was surprisingly comfortable and as long as Clarke kept her thoughts PG, she could totally handle this friendship thing with Lexa. It was easy, really, to be Lexa’s friend. The hard part was being _just_ her friend, especially if she kept doing sweet things like that. Because it was the kind of thing Clarke could get used to, expect even, in a more than friendly type relationship. But she had done Lexa a favor and Lexa was just repaying it.

After breakfast, Lexa excused herself to take a shower, and Clarke said she would take care of the dishes. She pulled her phone out and, against her better judgment, texted her best friend.

**Clarke** : Raven. I need you to not be an ass.

**Raven** : kk whats up?

**Clarke** : I’m pretty sure I’m crushing on Lexa

HARD

like I had a dream last night that was

R rated. X rated.

whatever!

**Raven** : whoa ok so thats new

**Clarke** : yep

help!!

**Raven** : help how?

**Clarke** : I can’t, she doesn’t

she’s just nice and it isn’t

we’re just friends

**Raven** : um idk if thats true

but if you’re legit worried just like

...keep your distance

**Clarke** : Rae! we are stuck in the pool house!

there is not much distance!

**Raven** : no but Clarke like...

just do separate things

give her some space

maybe actually study or something

**Clarke** : space...ok

I can do space.

thanks Rae! xoxo

When Lexa emerged from the shower, Clarke had her books and laptop sprawled out on her half of the kitchen table.

“I figured we probably both need to study.”

“Actually, yeah. I have a paper I need to finish. Cool if I study in here with you?”

“Yeah, I left you half,” Clarke smiled and Lexa nodded.

Day One of Quarantine wasn’t a bad day. Breakfast was delicious, and with Lexa at the table hyper-focused on her paper, Clarke actually studied for her classes. She re-read the notes she had taken and took new notes; she had even highlighted some new things that stuck out to her, and for the first time in a month or two, Clarke felt like she was totally nailing the college thing again. She sent another ‘thank you’ text to Raven, too, because they’d gotten through the entire morning and lunch without incident. Clarke made it all the way until 6 p.m. before her stomach was grumbling and asking for more nourishment.

“Time for dinner then?” Lexa saved her paper and closed her laptop. “I don’t think I can write any more today anyway.”

“You? Tired of homework?”

“I don’t _like_ homework, Clarke. I just find it more necessary than you do, typically.”

“I _do_ homework, Lexa. I just spent the whole day doing homework, as a matter of fact.”

“And it didn’t kill you?” Lexa’s lips twitched up at the corners.

“It so did! That was the worst. My back is killing me from hunching over books all day. So I say we put this whole studying nonsense to bed for the night and get some dinner, maybe watch a movie?”

“Sounds like a plan, what are you thinking?”

“For dinner? Or the movie?”

“For dinner, Clarke. I could whip up some pasta pretty quickly, if you’d like.”

“Sounds delicious! I’ll get set up on the couch. Okay if we just watch on my laptop?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

_______

When Lexa sat down on the couch with her plate of pasta, she was not expecting _The Little Mermaid_ would be pulled up on Clarke’s laptop, but... _of course._

Clarke had definitely downplayed her knowledge of the movie because, once their plates were set down and bellies full, she was singing along with every song just like Lexa was. And it had been fun and nice and it felt like something friends were supposed to do and Lexa liked it. A lot.

“I dunno, Lex... they aren’t _that_ nice. Like, I’ve seen cartoon chicks with bigger-”

“Hey! She is sixteen! Leave her alone,” Lexa shoved playfully at Clarke’s shoulder.

“Uh, these ladies,” she gestured to her own set of fantastic tits, “have been with me since I was about twelve, so-”

“Okay, well I was a child and the seashell bra just works, Clarke.” Clarke shot her an eye roll before she added, weakly, “I’m a big fan of the color... purple?”

Clarke snorted. “The color purple, Lexa? Really?”

“Okay, no. But I was young and she’s like, the dream girl, with all that bright red hair and those eyes - nobody has eyes that...” _Oh._ “Blue,” she gulped out.

Lexa looked up and met Clarke’s eyes and they were, they were _that_ blue and they were shining and Lexa felt lost in them, like they were piercing through to her very soul, and Clarke’s bottom lip was tugged gently between her teeth and her eyebrow quirked but it wasn’t a playful quirk... it was _sultry_... and _sexy_... and _Oh God._

Lexa jumped off the couch like she had been burned and ran toward the bathroom.

“I have to pee,” she shot over her shoulder as the door slammed shut behind her.

She splashed water on her face and tried to calm down but it felt impossible because Clarke had been looking back at her and there was _something_... and Lexa knew then, if she hadn’t realized it before, that she wasn’t attracted to Clarke... she wasn’t _just_ attracted to Clarke... because those eyes and those lips and what she felt was deeper and... _Fuck_. Clarke was just being nice, she was just a good person, a good friend and Lexa couldn’t get her head out of her ass long enough to be normal around Clarke and... _Ugh_!

How in the hell was Lexa supposed to survive this quarantine with Clarke - her _friend_ , Clarke - if she couldn’t stop the emotions from bubbling up every time Clarke looked at her... or smiled at her... or was just in general the most beautiful - _Stop_!

But she couldn’t stop. The _feelings_ were a force to be reckoned with all on their own and no matter how hard Lexa tried to fall asleep that night, every time she closed her eyes, she saw Clarke, her beautiful friend, Clarke, her big blue eyes looking at Lexa like maybe she felt it, too, and it felt ridiculous to Lexa because how could Clarke, the vibrant and cool and totally confident Clarke, ever feel anything like... _that_ for her nerdy, stuck up roommate?

________

Clarke laid on her back that night staring at the ceiling and avoiding the swirl of emotions raging within. Because when Lexa looked into her eyes - every time - it was like she was lost in a forest of vibrant greens and striking golds and she wanted to stay lost in them forever. She wanted to paint Lexa’s eyes, to paint the _feelings_ that Lexa evoked from somewhere deep inside. She wanted to grab Lexa by the collar of her t-shirt and pull her in close so she could really see... what else was in there? Because for a second... she swore she could see her own feelings reflected there in those deep green eyes, like maybe Lexa _did_ like her, too. And if she did, then maybe...

Clarke didn’t sleep well at all that night. She tossed and turned, careful not to touch Lexa, but all too aware of how close Lexa was to her. She could feel the heat radiating off of Lexa all night long and when she finally did manage to fall asleep, her dreams were filled with images of trees and maybe the ocean and the way they met at the edge of the woods and Lexa, Lexa, Lexa.

She was wholly unprepared to wake up with her hand pressed firmly against Lexa’s abs, just under her t-shirt, her legs haphazardly flung across the bed. _Oh no._ Lexa stirred next to her and Clarke squeezed her eyes shut. Lexa eased her way out from under Clarke’s arm, Clarke pretended to be asleep - there was no way she could face Lexa - and Lexa landed on the floor beside the bed with a small thud. Clarke’s hand felt like it had been burned from the heat of Lexa’s core, and the pang of guilt for feeling the poor girl up rippled through her body. _Oh God._

She rolled over once Lexa was gone from the room and stared at the ceiling. _Get a fucking grip, you creep._ Clarke continued to stare at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity before her stomach spoke up and demanded food. She stumbled out of bed and headed toward the kitchen, but she stopped when she caught sight of Lexa in the yoga room doing... _push ups._

Her arms were toned, really toned, and Clarke watched the muscles in her back move with each new set and her skin was glistening with sweat and the light from the outside window was just starting to filter through and the way it danced on Lexa’s tanned, sweaty body made her look like a literal goddess and Clarke had never needed water so badly before in her life.

She was just about to look away when Lexa moved to the yoga mat in the center of the room and started stretching... _Oh fuck_. Clarke could see Lexa’s thigh muscles through the spandex shorts she was wearing and for a moment, she wondered what it would feel like to be between those thighs, to sink her teeth into them and make Lexa squirm and writhe beneath her... _Mmm_.

“What?” Lexa noticed her standing in the doorway, staring. Oh no.

“Huh?” Clarke asked, mortified.

“Oh, I thought you mumbled something.” Had she... what? “It sounded like you said hmm or something... are you ready for breakfast?”

Either Lexa didn’t know Clarke had been watching her or she was being exceptionally cool about it.

“Oh, uh... I was just, I was gonna ask you if you had... had coffee yet, or if I should make, um, if I should make a whole pot.” _Excellent recovery!_

“I’d love some coffee, thanks.” Lexa smiled warmly at her and it was too much because if Lexa only knew what Clarke had been thinking...

“Okay,” she squeaked out and turned away from Lexa as quickly as her feet would allow.

She brewed the coffee and pulled out her phone. She thought about texting Raven again, but there was really nothing more her best friend could say or do for her. She was stuck alone with Lexa and it was going to be the death of her. Raven would probably tell her that the pull she was feeling, the connection, and the _feelings_ were all a sign to go for it, to take the leap and kiss the girl. But Raven had always been a bit gutsier than Clarke and Raven could make a move with ease and it always worked because that was just Raven; Raven had never been made speechless by anyone, while Clarke... she couldn’t even trust her internal monologue to stay... internal, it seemed.

Clarke added cream and sugar to her coffee and took a sip as she waited for Lexa to join her in the kitchen.

“Hey, sorry. I can’t go on my usual morning run so, I figured I would take advantage of the yoga room,” she said cheerily. _Morning people._

“Oh, yeah, might as well use it.”

“So, breakfast. Eggs and toast?”

“Yeah, or I mean, we can have cereal. You don’t have to keep cooking for me, Lex.”

“I want to,” she admitted and her cheeks flushed and her little ears tinged pink and it was absolutely the _cutest_ thing Clarke had ever seen.

“Oh,” Clarke couldn’t help the smile from spreading across her face. “Then yes, eggs and toast would be lovely.” _Lovely_?

“Okay.” Lexa pulled a frying pan out of the bottom cupboard and busied herself with prep while Clarke finished off her coffee. “Um, how do you like your eggs?”

And Clarke realized suddenly the implications of the question. Eggs are a tricky food to make someone because there were so many options, for starters (over easy, over medium, over hard, poached, scrambled, Benedict even), and if you got it wrong, made them too runny or too dry, you could really fuck up someone’s morning. And they could have just had cereal, but Lexa had offered to make eggs because she wanted to know... and maybe it was nothing, but it didn’t _feel_ like nothing because nobody had ever offered to make her eggs before.

And so Clarke took a chance. She quirked a playful brow at Lexa and smiled her sultry kind of smile that tugged at her lips and she looked over at the brunette who had a curious and maybe even shy expression on her face. Clarke watched it happen - the light dusting of her cheeks, the redness creeping up along the sides of her neck, and she felt it in that moment, when their eyes locked, it was more and Clarke summoned all of the courage she had inside and decided to go for it.

“You trying to get into my pants, Woods?”

“What?” Lexa’s eyes went wide and the pink of her cheeks turned a much deeper shade of crimson all at once.

“Wooing me with breakfast foods and all. Chocolate chip pancakes yesterday and now eggs? Nobody has ever made me eggs before - it’s a big step, don’t you think?” Clarke’s voice was casual and flirty and confident, and it knocked Lexa off balance because all she could muster in response was -

“Uh,” gulp, “I just... you deserve, I mean... people should make you eggs... more often, then because... it’s a good source of, um, protein...”

Yeah, it was definitely more than just breakfast. “Flustered looks good on you,” Clarke replied and she smiled because Lexa was glowing a shade similar to the apples in the fruit bowl beside her. “Sunny side up,” she tacked on. “If you think you can handle that.”

“I can handle it,” Lexa replied quietly and turned away from Clarke.

Clarke watched Lexa work from the corner of the kitchen and mulled it over. Flirting with Lexa was fun and easy and it made all of her awkward internal thoughts let up a bit and relax. And Lexa was really cute when she was flustered - Clarke could get used to that. And it was harmless, right? Because Clarke flirted with a lot of people and it didn’t mean anything and maybe Lexa would think that, too. And Clarke could carry on being hopelessly in love with her roommate and it wouldn’t be awkward or weird for either of them. Hopelessly in _what? Dammit!_


	3. Chapter Three

The first week of quarantine wasn’t so bad. Watching professors teach in empty classrooms, or from their own homes, was a bit disconcerting but after a few days, it seemed normal. Lexa still managed to turn in her homework and the grades were still being posted online so overall, it wasn’t entirely different from any other day at school. Except for Clarke. Clarke was definitely different.

Clarke had been overtly flirty with Lexa all week and it was _doing_ things to her and she knew, deep down, that Clarke was just a flirtatious person. Lexa had had this very same internal argument with herself from the beginning, but Clarke never flirted with Lexa before and she certainly didn’t call Lexa cute or adorable and now she said it all the time. And it was _weird_ but it was also kind of electrifying and after a few days of bumbling responses, Lexa was finally finding confidence of her own - and if Clarke was going to keep flirting with her like that, well, then Lexa Woods was going to lay it on, too, and _thick_.

“Hey Clarke,” Lexa peeked up over her textbook at Clarke across the table who was buried in her own books and notes. “Do you think you could ask your mom to pick up peaches? I’ve just been craving something... _juicy_. You know? I just want to sink my teeth into-”

“Yep!” Clarke squeaked out.

“Excellent. Thank you, Clarke.” When Clarke looked up and their eyes met, Lexa saw something flash across them; they were a much deeper shade of blue than Lexa was used to and her throat tightened. Clarke looked hungry and Lexa was pretty sure it had nothing to do with peaches.

Lexa’s phone chirped from somewhere under the mountain of papers in front of her and she tore her eyes away from the beautiful blonde in front of her to find it.

**Anya** : How’s it going with the obnoxious roommate?

You surviving?

**Lexa** : Oh...

She’s actually nice :)

**Anya** : Wtf is that face

Oh My God.

Lexa.

You like her!

**Lexa** : ...

**Anya** : Dude, spill!

**Lexa** : What?

**Anya** : Tell me!

**Lexa** : Its... confusing

**Anya** : What is?

**Lexa** : I mean...

I do, I like her

But it isn’t like that

For her I mean, we’re friends

So I’m just... avoiding it?

But we have been flirting a lot

And OMG she’s so pretty, Anya

**Anya** : If she’s flirting with you...

Why do you think she doesn’t like you?

**Lexa** : I

Lexa hit send before she had formed an actual answer. Did she _know_? Of course Clarke didn’t like her back. Lexa was positive of that. Wasn’t she? She had been, Lexa had been completely sure, last week, that Clarke could never... but the flirting was definitely throwing her for a loop, especially because it had become more... suggestive as the days went on. And sometimes, the way Clarke looked at her... _Maybe_?

**Lexa** : I’m not sure.

Because she’s so beautiful and wonderful and perfect and...

How could she like me?

I’m... idk

**Anya** : You’re a total babe!

Lexa, listen to me. Or, pay attention to my words. Whatever.

You are smart and successful and funny and kind.

You’re a good person, Lexa.

And I know you’ve been through shit, I get that.

But.

You deserve to be happy, kid.

And you’re worthy of love.

And if you tell anyone I said any of that, I will kill you.

**Lexa** : That was...

Oddly reassuring

Thank you, Anya

**Anya** : Don’t mention it.

Ever.

I have to jump on a conference call.

Take care of you.

**Lexa** : Take care of you, too

Lexa set her phone down and picked her book back up. She felt eyes on her and looked up at Clarke who was staring at her with a curious look on her face.

“Who you texting, Lex?” Was that... a hint of _jealousy_?

“My cousin, Anya. She was just checking in.”

“Oh,” Clarke hummed. “And what did you say? Struggling to survive or having the time of your life?”

Lexa thought about it. She was struggling to survive in some ways - struggling to survive the proximity of Clarke, definitely, because she had struggled to breathe on more than one occasion and the level of dehydration Clarke caused was really bordering on dangerous. But being near Clarke was... amazing and everything Lexa learned, every smile she earned, every shy glance, every throaty laugh... it kind of was the time of her life, too.

“Maybe... a little bit of both,” Lexa answered honestly.

Clarke smiled, “Me too.”

It felt like a thousand butterflies sprang to life inside her stomach. _That smile_. And she couldn’t be imagining it, she couldn’t be, because she’d lived with Clarke for almost a year and she saw her interact with people all the time - in their room, in the dining hall, around campus - but she had _never_ seen Clarke smile _that_ smile at anyone before. The butterflies got busy, planting little seeds of hope that threatened to sprout and burst from her chest.

_______

The banter continued well into their second week of quarantine. Saturday they spent the day studying with a Harry Potter marathon on the TV in the background.

“What house are you, Lexa?”

“I don’t know, Slytherin?”

“Do you really believe that or are you asking me?”

“Asking you what?”

“To slither in?”

That earned Clarke an eye roll, but the wink she sent back to Lexa caused her cheeks to pink.

Sunday, they broke out old-school Monopoly. After a ten minute argument about who could be the dog, they agreed neither would be. Clarke opted for the iron because she’s so hot and gave Lexa the cowboy because, “You’d look good in assless chaps, Lexa, it suits you.”

Later, Lexa landed on ‘Community Chest’ much to her delight and Clarke quirked a brow before she said, “You really do like a good chest, eh Lex?”

Lexa turned things around when Clarke landed on ‘Go to Jail’ and she said, “Aww Clarke, have you been naughty?”

Clarke replied smugly, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

But when Lexa smirked and casually shrugged her shoulders and said, “Maybe,” it was Clarke’s turn to turn a pretty shade of pink. In the end, Lexa won the game, but Clarke won the day for the number of times she had made Lexa squirm in her seat during it.

Monday, Lexa worked on her math homework while Clarke wrote an essay for British Literature. Clarke glanced at Lexa’s paper and scowled, “What kind of math is _that_?”

Lexa smiled and explained the problem she was working on, but none of it made sense to Clarke. She leaned in over the paper and said, “I don’t know much about math, but... if you were a triangle, you would be a cute one,” and she poked her tongue out from between her teeth and Lexa’s heart stopped beating.

Later, when Clarke expressed her disdain for Shakespeare, Lexa rattled off her favorite line from Hamlet without a second thought. “Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love.”

And Clarke had no idea what that was from, but she couldn’t focus on anything else the rest of the day... _love what? Love... who?_

Tuesday, Lexa caught Clarke drawing a picture of her.

“Oh it’s... it’s not finished yet,” she said. She moved her hand over the page and added something before exclaiming “There, now it is!”

She slid the page across the table for Lexa to take; it was a picture of Lexa with a book in her hand and a thought bubble over her head, “Roses are red, my face is too, that only happens when I’m around you.” When she read it, Lexa’s face flushed a deep shade of red and her ears turned pink and she refused to meet Clarke’s eyes.

Later that night, Lexa whipped up an easy shrimp Alfredo and Clarke, against her better judgment, offered, “There might be a bottle of wine in here somewhere, if you-”

“I do not fancy wines, Clarke. I prefer moans,” Lexa cut in smoothly, a perfect smirk on her face, and Clarke coughed and choked on the air she had been breathing.

It continued that way, a fine dance just on the edge between friendship and something more, neither of them willing to step over it, until...

_______

“Ugh,” Clarke groaned and stretched her arms above her head. “I can not spend another second studying. I need a break.”

They’d been at it for hours. Clarke had managed to complete all of her assignments before lunch; she worked on her homework while she listened to her professors drone on from the small speaker on her laptop, but she had a paper to write and it was not coming along as easily as she had hoped it would. Lexa, ever the studious one, was reading for _fun_ because all of her assignments had been completed hours ago. Still, she sat at the table with Clarke while she worked and it felt... _nice_ and like something Lexa would do if... _if they were more._

That and Lexa had been flirting back with Clarke lately and it surprised the hell out of Clarke how _good_ Lexa was at it because _Damn_ some of the things she said had Clarke gasping for air and fanning herself to stop the flood of heat to her face.

Lexa was cocky when she got on a roll, too, and as much as Clarke loved the flustered look on Lexa, the cocky look was... _doing things_ to her in places she would rather not admit. Thank God Abby had sent for the laundry because Clarke was running out of clean underwear in record time now that Lexa was giving Clarke a taste of her own flirty medicine.

“What’s on the agenda for the evening then?”

Clarke looked outside wistfully. She missed the feel of the breeze on her face and the warmth from the sun on her skin. Her mother was pulling a double shift at the hospital and neither she nor Lexa had ever had any symptoms of the virus that started this whole thing in the first place, so...

“Let’s go swimming!” The pool was clean and the water was deep and it wasn’t like anybody actually used it when Clarke wasn’t home, anyway. “I have got to feel the outside world, Lexa. I can’t stay in here another day, and it’s the backyard! We’re allowed to be out in the backyard, it’s not like the neighbors are close by.”

It was true. They had a lot of land because the neighborhood was built before the cookie-cutter houses with little-to-no room for breathing started popping up across the country. And the news had made it clear that you could go outside if you needed to, as long as you kept six feet between you and anyone who wasn’t in your immediate household and there was no risk of that at all because it was just the two of them, all alone, still.

“I don’t know, Clarke-”

“I’ll google it, if we can. Hang on,” she pulled her phone out and started typing furiously and, “Yes! We totally can because there is chlorine in the pool and it isn’t public, so this article says it’s probably safer than other activities. Please?”

“It’s just, I don’t... I don’t have a swimsuit,” Lexa’s eyes darted down to the table and she fidgeted with the hem of her t-shirt.

“Oh, no worries,” Clarke shot Lexa a sultry look. “We don’t have to wear anything. Like I said, there isn’t anybody else around. And it’s getting dark, anyway.” And she knew it was a terrible idea, completely and totally disastrous, but maybe being stuck inside was getting to her because she couldn’t think of a better idea, didn’t think one even existed, in that moment.

“Clarke-” Lexa attempted to protest, but Clarke was out of her chair and had already pulled her shorts halfway down her legs when she looked up at Lexa. Lexa’s eyes were dark and Clarke watched her gulp down a breath and yes, this was absolutely the best idea she could have had.

“Come on, Lex,” she poked her tongue out between her teeth and wiggled her eyebrows. “Just wear your bra and underwear. It’s basically the same thing.”

Lexa watched Clarke kick her shorts off, followed them with her eyes before she looked back to Clarke and sucked in a breath. Clarke pulled her shirt over her head and stood in front of Lexa with a hand on her now bare hip. She was wearing light blue boy shorts and a white lace bra and she knew exactly what might happen if her bra got wet, but the look she saw in Lexa’s eyes was the only motivation she needed.

“Are you coming?” Clarke didn’t wait for Lexa to answer. She pulled open the door and stepped out into the cool evening air.

She walked to the steps slowly, a little extra sway in her hips, and descended into the pool one small step at a time. She threw a look over her shoulder and yeah, Lexa was watching her intently from the window, and okay, it was now or never - if Lexa came outside, Clarke would find out what was really going on between them. Because it had been over a week of playful flirting and sideways glances and Lexa being thoughtful in a way Raven never was and it had to mean _something_ , it had to.

_________

_Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit._ That was it. That was the only concrete thought running through Lexa’s mind.

It was a fever dream, it had to be. Too much time spent indoors, Lexa was losing it. She watched Clarke outside, the sway of her hips, the perfect swell of her ass, and _oh God_ it was not a dream - it was real and it was happening.

Lexa jumped out of her chair and tore her t-shirt off. She stumbled out of her jeans at the same time she stumbled out the door and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Clarke flipping her hair and brushing it out of her face. The sun was starting to set behind her and the glow from it bounced off of Clarke’s already golden locks and she looked like Heaven itself. _Holy fuck._

Lexa stepped forward in nothing but her boxer briefs and a black sports bra and the way Clarke’s eyes followed her body, lingered on her stomach a moment too long, gave her a surge of confidence she didn’t know she needed.

“You look pretty wet, Clarke. Are you having fun?”

“Not as much fun as I’d be having if you were in the pool with me,” Clarke shot Lexa that sultry, sexy look and bit her bottom lip.

Lexa stuck a tentative toe into the water and it was surprisingly warm (or maybe that was the heat coursing through her body) given how cool the breeze felt against her skin. She followed the steps down into the water and submerged herself completely. When she popped back up, Clarke was considerably closer to her, and she felt something stir deep and low. Clarke splashed her and swam away, but Lexa caught up to her quickly and a game of cat and mouse ensued. They swam around each other, neither of them entirely sure of where they stood, neither knowing how exactly to figure it out.

“Hey, Lexa,” Clarke pushed herself off of the wall they had been hanging onto before asking, “Do you wanna call me Ariel? Do you think we _mermaid_ for each other?” She cocked her eyebrow and bit her lip and Lexa knew it was playful and flirty but she couldn’t keep doing this, Clarke needed to know.

“No way, Clarke.”

And Clarke feigned hurt, or maybe she felt hurt, but Lexa wasn’t done yet.

“I’d never call you Ariel because Ariel, she’s just a dream, but you... you’re better than a dream because... you’re _real_.”

Before Lexa could swallow, Clarke was in her space. Lexa moved backward until her back was pressed against the tile wall and Clarke was pressed against her front.

“Say that again,” Clarke whispered, but it felt urgent, like she _needed_ to hear it, needed to know if it was right.

“You’re real, Clarke, and I - ”

Clarke’s lips crashed against her own in a hungry kiss and _Oh God._ She grabbed Clarke’s hips and pulled her closer, sliding her thigh between Clarke’s legs as she did, and Clarke’s breath hitched. Lexa slid her tongue against Clarke’s wet lips seeking entrance that Clarke gave immediately, and when their tongues met, Lexa couldn’t stop the small gasp that escaped because _Oh my God_ it’s happening. Clarke swallowed it and when Lexa pulled back to change the angle of the kiss, Clarke’s fingers, tangled in Lexa’s hair, tugged gently and pulled her in closer. Clarke gripped the edge of the pool with her free hand and pushed herself down onto Lexa’s thigh, riding it slowly. _Holy fuck._

Lexa could feel the heat radiating from Clarke’s center and she wanted more. Lexa cupped the underside of Clarke’s breast, felt the lace material scratch against her fingertips, pushed it aside and ran her fingers over a hard nipple. Her brain short-circuited with the touch and she wanted the damn bra off, now. She reached around Clarke’s back to unhook it while her other hand held tightly to Clarke’s ass and moved with her, pushing and pulling her down harder, and Clarke moaned in pleasure.

“Fuck, Lex,” and that was it, that was all she needed to hear-

“Clarke? Girls, are you outside?” Abby was standing by the patio door, propped against the frame, looking out across the pool. It was dark, the lights were off, but she could see two figures in the water.

“Oh God,” Clarke half-whispered, her breathing was ragged and her breath was hot against Lexa’s ear.

They broke apart just before Abby flicked a switch and the entire pool was illuminated, a cool white-blue light washed over their faces and lit up the world around them.

“Sorry, Mom, I just... we needed air, fresh air... the pool house is... stifling,” Clarke answered, her breathing still a bit labored.

“Well you’re free tomorrow, I don’t know why you couldn’t wait.”

Had it been two weeks already? Lexa couldn’t be sure. The first week felt like a blur to Lexa. It had been difficult to settle into a routine, to figure out classes and homework and... Clarke. This week had been... exhilarating. Flirting with Clarke, cooking for Clarke, doing her homework next to Clarke, _kissing_ Clarke... _oh God._

“I’m sorry, I thought you were working late,” Clarke replied to Abby, breathing finally returned to normal.

“Nope, my shift ended about an hour ago. It’s fine. You can bring your stuff to the main house tomorrow. I have the guest bedroom all set up. Oh, we can all have dinner, sound good? Around six?”

“Yeah,” Clarke replied, a hint of annoyance in her tone. “We’ll be there.”

Abby waved to them both and turned the lights back off, but it was too late. Clarke was already out of the pool and Lexa followed behind her. Once they were back inside, they showered, separately, and climbed into bed. _What now?_

Lexa wasn’t going to force it. The moment was gone, their bodies had calmed down, and it was quiet. She could hear Clarke breathing beside her, but neither of them spoke. Lexa couldn’t help the pang in her chest when she thought about it - what had happened between them, it felt like everything in her world made sense in that moment, when Clarke kissed her, and now... Well, how was she supposed to carry on like nothing happened when she was so close to Clarke...

But then Clarke rolled over and looked at Lexa and her eyes were bright and piercing through to Lexa’s soul and when she said good night, it was quiet and soft and maybe even vulnerable, so Lexa took a chance. She kissed the top of Clarke’s head and whispered her own good night to Clarke, then pulled Clarke’s body flush with hers and wrapped an arm tightly around her stomach. Clarke hummed lightly, shifted closer still, and they both fell asleep quicker than either had in months.

________

When Clarke woke up the next morning, she was still snuggled in close to Lexa. Any other morning, Lexa was up and out of bed before Clarke had even woken up, but Lexa stayed and held Clarke and when she looked up, she was staring straight into bright, green eyes.

“Good morning,” Lexa said softly as a smile slowly spread across her face and lit up her eyes.

Clarke gasped at the sight before her. Lexa was beautiful, she had always been beautiful, but as Clarke looked deeply into the forest of Lexa’s eyes, she didn’t feel lost - she felt found. Looking at Lexa, curled up in her arms, Clarke felt a sense of home she hadn’t known she was missing.

“Hi,” she offered quietly. The smile on her face matched Lexa’s, and they just laid there for awhile, content and comfortable.

Clarke didn’t want to get out bed, didn’t want to face the day ahead of them, because it meant a night spent alone in her own bedroom without Lexa. And last week, she would have given anything to have had her own bed, to have space from the girl who had been driving her crazy, but now, she knew, she would feel cold and empty without Lexa beside her.

An hour passed, at least, before Lexa nudged Clarke and asked if they should get up. It was timid, like maybe Lexa felt the same way Clarke did, that being in bed together was better than anything the day could bring, but Clarke knew they had to get up eventually.

“I guess we should,” Clarke sounded dejected but the low grumble from her stomach told her it was time.

Lexa let out a small laugh, “You’re always hungry,” she shook her head. “I don’t get it, how is it possible for you to look... like that, when you eat as often as you do?”

Clarke propped herself up on an elbow and asked, “Like what exactly?”

Lexa groaned playfully and swatted Clarke away. “YouknowwhatImean,” she replied quickly and tried to hide the blush that had crept up her neck and settled on her cheeks.

“I’m not sure that I do.” Clarke quirked a brow and waited.

“I mean... you’re completely beautiful, Clarke, like... ugh, you’re the prettiest, and it’s not _fair_ that you look all... _God_ , Clarke your body is... I’m a fan.” Lexa shrugged and looked away, embarrassed.

“Hey.” Clarke placed a gentle hand on Lexa’s chin and pulled her face back so she could look at her. “You’re really beautiful, too.”

And then Lexa kissed her and it was slow and soft and Clarke’s head went fuzzy, butterflies erupted in her belly, and fireworks danced behind her eyes. _Wow_.

Her stomach groaned, loud and angry, and Lexa pulled away. Clarke tried to chase her lips, to continue the kiss, to kiss Lexa forever, but Lexa laughed and said, “Clarke, babe, you need food.”

“I know,” she groaned. But Lexa had called her babe and she wanted to stay in that moment, hunger be damned.

“I’ll make you something. What are you in the mood for?”

“I dunno, babe,” Clarke’s tongue poked out between her teeth, eyes full of mirth, “What do you wanna make me?”

“Pancakes!”

And with that, Lexa jumped out of bed and was off to the kitchen. Clarke stayed there a moment longer and reveled in the new feeling, the new closeness with Lexa, and everything it might mean. She still had no idea what was going on in the world around her, what it meant for the future, but she knew what was going on inside of her heart, why it beat just a little bit faster, and nothing seemed scary at all because Lexa felt it, too, and she was sure of that.

Clarke ambled into the kitchen and was hit with the smell of bacon as it wafted through the room. Lexa was busy mixing the batter, back to Clarke, who stood back and watched Lexa hum and dance as she stirred. Lexa was absolutely the most adorable person on the planet, had to be, and Clarke smiled at the thought. Lexa turned and caught Clarke staring, but she didn’t feel embarrassed or worried, just... _happy_.

“I’m making bacon,” Lexa said as she turned to face Clarke. “Wanna strip?” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Clarke just laughed.

“Maybe later,” she shot back and Lexa’s eyes went wide for a moment before she covered her surprise with a sultry smirk.

“I’m going to hold you to that, Clarke.”

“Good, I love it when you hold me.” It was out before she could stop it.

Any other day and she would have had something flirty to say back like, ‘You wish’ and she’d throw Lexa a wink, but after last night, she couldn’t find the snark and she didn’t want to. Because Lexa stood there in her sleep shorts and a tank top, eyes bright and kind and honest, and all Clarke wanted to do was confess everything to Lexa, to give in to the pull she’d been feeling since they met, the pull that had tugged at her heart tenfold since they left campus two weeks ago. To let all of her secrets tumble freely from her lips and to give in to all of her desires that were, in every way, Lexa - Lexa’s eyes, Lexa’s arms, Lexa’s abs, Lexa’s smirk and her smile, and Lexa’s heart, if she could have it.

“Clarke...” It was soft and quiet, but the click of the k in her name, the way Lexa said it with such reverence stirred something in Clarke. Lexa looked unsure, like she wanted to say something, but didn’t know if she should, or could.

Clarke stepped closer to Lexa, “I love the way you say my name, too,” she husked out and Lexa’s eyes had dropped to her lips as she moved forward still.

Something had definitely shifted between them, but Clarke didn’t know how to navigate it just yet, didn’t know what she could do, how far she should go, but as she stood next to Lexa, a little too close, she knew what she _wanted_ to do. And Lexa looked at her, into her eyes, down to her lips, back up, and Clarke decided to stop thinking about it.

She pressed her lips against Lexa’s and every neuron in her brain was firing and she could feel it in her fingertips all the way down to her toes and _Oh my God_ how could a kiss be this good? She threaded her fingers through Lexa’s hair and pulled her closer, her other hand pressed against Lexa’s stomach and when she felt Lexa’s stomach tense from her touch, she leaned in to deepen the kiss. Lexa’s tongue moved against Clarke’s lips, a silent plea for more that Clarke granted easily. She moved forward into the kiss, into Lexa’s body, pushed until Lexa’s ass hit the counter behind her, and when Lexa gasped, Clarke sunk her teeth into Lexa’s bottom lip and tugged gently. Lexa fisted the hem of Clarke’s shirt with one hand, ran the other under it, cupped Clarke’s breast and brushed her thumb over the hard nipple she knew she would find there, and it sent tingles down Clarke’s spine, her arousal spiked, and she needed to feel more of Lexa, _now_ , needed Lexa’s hands in other places, her fingers touching _more_ , _lower_.

Clarke pushed Lexa back, stared into Lexa’s eyes, dark and roving her body. She pulled the hem of her own shirt up and over head head, tossed it onto the floor beside her and watched Lexa’s eyes go wide and then darker before she advanced on Clarke like a lion to its prey and _holy fuck_ her hands were everywhere. Clarke grabbed a fistful of Lexa’s hair, dug her nails into Lexa’s back as Lexa grabbed her ass and hoisted Clarke up, spun and set her down on the counter behind them. Lexa kissed Clarke with a greedy urgency and Clarke knew her underwear was completely ruined and the counter top would be soon, too. She wrapped her legs around Lexa’s torso and held her there, kissed her with an urgency of her own, and-

Lexa’s phone came alive from its place on the bedside table in the other room. A raspy female voice sang a mellow rock song that Clarke had never heard before, and it blasted out the phone’s speaker and startled them both.

“Ignore it,” Lexa said, her breathing ragged and breath warm. She went back to pressing hot kisses along the column of Clarke’s neck, under her chin, up to her ear, and Clarke couldn’t stifle the moan that escaped from her lips as Lexa’s hands took purchase on her thighs and pulled Clarke’s hips flush against her abdomen.

The phone started again.

“ _Here’s to us, here’s to love_  
 _All the times that we fucked up_  
 _Here’s to you, fill the glass_  
 _‘Cause the last few days have kicked my ass_  
 _So let’s give ‘em hell_  
 _Wish everybody well, here’s to us, here’s to us_ ”

Lexa groaned. “It’s Anya, I’m sorry. She’s going to keep calling-”

“It’s, yeah...” Clarke’s breathing was labored and the frustration was written all over her face, she could feel it. “Answer it.”

Clarke untangled her legs from Lexa’s waist and let them fall on either side of the flustered brunette as she pushed herself away from the counter. “I’m sorry,” Lexa said sheepishly as she ducked her head and stalked off toward the bedroom.

The phone rang again and Clarke hopped off the counter. The bacon was definitely burned, but the pancake batter was still safely in the bowl, so Clarke grabbed a pan and decided to finish what Lexa had started... well, breakfast, at least.

______

“What?” Lexa growled into the phone when Anya called for the third time. She kept her voice low because she knew all too well how easily sound travelled within the walls of the pool house.

“ _Fuck off with that tone, Lexa. It’s the end of the world out of here.”_

“I’m sorry,” she grumbled. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?” It was dripping with sarcasm and Anya could tell.

“ _They’re letting me come home, you asshole. I thought you’d want to know. The airports are on high alert and it isn’t gonna be easy, but I should be there in a day or two.”_

“Oh, okay, good. That’s really good news.” And it was, but Lexa was still reeling from everything that had just happened and she couldn’t really focus on Anya at all.

“ _Yeah, so, if you want to, you can come stay with-”_

“No. Uh,” Lexa tried to reel it in, but the eagerness of her reply did not go unnoticed by Anya because nothing ever did. “I’m good, but, um, thank you.”

“ _Uh huh. Something happen with blondie then?”_

“Something was before you called and interrupted!”

“ _Oh, shit dude, I’m so sorry!”_

“No, it’s... it’s okay. First her mom, now you.” Lexa shook her head and wondered if it would happen at all, especially if they’d be in separate bedrooms going forward. _Ugh_.

“ _Wait, her mom? What, how?”_

“We were... we went swimming and... she’d been flirting with me all week, you know, but I wasn’t sure... and then, something changed between us, but her mom must have heard something because she was calling out to us from the patio door and... so, anyway. I’m glad you’re coming home, though.”

“ _Me too. But, I am sorry. I totally did not mean to cock-block you. Or, twat-block you, as it were.”_

“It’s,” Lexa sighed heavily, “It’s fine, Anya.”

Lexa finished talking to Anya and hung up before she went back to the kitchen. She had completely forgotten about the bacon in the oven when Clarke... distracted her, and it was probably burnt now. _Dammit_. When she crossed into the kitchen, she was surprised to find Clarke at the stove pouring batter into a pan. The bacon was already in the trash can and plates were laid out on the counter beside Clarke.

“You’re cooking?” Lexa’s brow furrowed at Clarke who shot a winning smile over her shoulder and resumed her pancake duty.

“I’m trying,” she laughed a little, “but the first one stuck to the pan.” She eyed a third plate Lexa hadn’t noticed that had pieces of cooked pancake on it.

“Did you grease the pan?”

“Did I do what now?” Clarke looked at Lexa with absolute confusion in her eyes and it was ridiculous. And _adorable_.

Lexa smirked at Clarke, a little huff of air escaped her lips as she tried to stifle a laugh.

“Um, Clarke, maybe I should finish-”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” she waved her hand in the air nonchalantly like it was no big deal, but Lexa saw pink dusting Clarke’s cheeks when she moved away from the oven.

“You’re cute.” And Lexa meant it. Clarke was _very cute._

She scrapped the pancake and started over with the little batter that remained. She managed to get two small pancakes out of it, but it wasn’t really enough to fill either of them and Lexa figured lunch would come sooner than usual.

Lexa packed up her belongings after breakfast while Clarke logged on to her laptop for her ten a.m. class and took notes. Lexa stuffed all of her clothes into a new garbage bag and packed her school supplies into her backpack. She didn’t have class until two and she figured they would be settled in the main house by then. Maybe she should have opted to go to Anya’s - the university wasn’t going to open back up anytime soon, that much was clear, but the thought of leaving Clarke now, after... _everything_ , felt impossible. Still, maybe she should at least tell Clarke, maybe Clarke would want her to go...

“Clarke?” Lexa broached the subject carefully. She waited until Clarke had finished packing to bring it up. “So, Anya, the reason she called... they’re letting her come home.”

“Oh, awesome. I’m sure you’re glad for that, that she’ll be safe.”

“Yeah, I am, but... she said I could, um, stay with her, when she gets back.” Lexa looked at Clarke and saw the flash of disappointment cross her features.

“Oh.” Clarke looked down at her feet, shifted the duffel on her shoulder for something to do, and said, “If that’s what you want-”

“I don’t,” Lexa cut Clarke off. “Unless, if you want me to, though-”

“No!” Clarke practically shouted at Lexa, then calmed herself and, quietly, added, “No, I... I like having you around, if that’s okay.”

The smile spread across Lexa’s face like a wildfire, heat burning her cheeks as it did. She looked into Clarke’s eyes, into the deep blue ocean, dove into the cooling waters and searched for reassurance and, when she found it there, let the relief wash over her and quiet her fears. Because Clarke kissed her, _twice_ , and it had gone further than that, it had been _more_ than that. And Lexa let go of the doubts that had been lingering because when she looked into Clarke eyes, when she searched them, all she found there was... _warmth_ and maybe something akin to... _love_?

“It’s more than okay.” She nodded and picked her bag of clothes off of the floor. “Shall we?”

Lexa followed Clarke up the patio steps and into the main house. It was gorgeous inside, just as she suspected. The kitchen was huge and open with marbled countertops and stainless steel appliances. There was a stove under a huge window and two ovens against the wall. The refrigerator looked bigger than Lexa’s closet in the dorm room and suddenly, Clarke’s love for food made a lot more sense - the meals prepared in a kitchen like that had to be _phenomenal_! The living room was open and bright, all cool light colors, and the furniture looked extremely comfortable. The way the light filtered in and danced on the walls, played off the paintings that hung delicately there, gave Lexa new insight on Clarke. Growing up here, she thought, it would have been impossible not to fall in love with art.

They walked through the living room and into the foyer and stopped beside the deep mahogany front door that Lexa had admired two weeks ago. On the right was a dark wooden staircase that led upstairs, but curious as she was, Lexa didn’t venture up them.

“Through that door,” Clarke gestured to her left to an equally dark wooden door, “is the guest bedroom. And there’s a bathroom around the corner, but it doesn’t have a shower, so you’ll need to use mine, upstairs, for that.”

“Okay, cool.”

“Come on,” Clarke must have sensed Lexa was sort of uncomfortable because she took a few steps forward and opened the door to guest room.

It looked more like a study than a bedroom with its dark wooden floors and bookcase that covered the entire interior wall. The bed was centered under the front window and had one small nightstand beside it, a small reading light with a green shade on top of that. There was a dresser, too, and a large floor lamp in the corner. Lexa didn’t realize that the bookshelf had a TV in the center of it until she walked into the room and took it all in. She set the bag of clothes on the Queen-sized bed and looked around the room again, unsure of what she was supposed to do next.

“Um, so just make yourself comfortable and, like you can unpack - use the dresser. I know you have a class soon, so I’m just gonna throw my shit in my room and then... we can set up on the couch or the kitchen table. Wherever you prefer.”

“Okay. Thank you, Clarke.”

Lexa watched Clarke walk out before she looked back at the bed. It was huge and altogether way too big a bed for one person, for Lexa, after last night, and it was ridiculous but all Lexa could think was how on earth she would ever be able to fall asleep without the blonde beside her ever again. _You’ll manage_. But would she, really?

_____

Clarke set the duffel bag on her bed and called Raven. Lexa would be a few minutes, anyway, and she needed to talk to her best friend.

“ _Griff-meister! Hey, what’s up? Sorry I haven’t been able to talk to you in a few days. I’ve been building my own home lab so I can keep doing experiments and shit.”_

“You, what?”

“ _Doesn’t matter. Anyway, how’s it going with the whole giving-Lexa-space thing?”_

“Well... it worked okay the first week, but... ugh Raven, if you had to wake up every morning and see her hot, sweaty, toned body... doing push-ups and yoga and... you’d lose your willpower, too!”

“ _You’re probably right about that. Ooh, does she have a sister?”_

“I don’t think so. She does have an older cousin, Anya, but I don’t know much about her.”

“ _Mm, you know I do love a hot older woman. Speaking of, how’s your mom?”_ Her tone was suggestive and it grossed Clarke out every time Raven talked about her mother like that.

“Gross, Rae. She’s fine. Back to me.”

“ _Okay, okay. So... have you hit it yet?”_

“Umm... not exactly.”

“ _Do you care to elaborate on that?”_

“We got close... twice.”

“ _So what stopped you?”_

“First, my mom. And then, Anya called her phone. Repeatedly.”

“ _Shit, that sucks Clarke. But... how was it? Details, woman!”_

“Raven, it’s like... I don’t even know if I have words. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. When we kissed it was like... the world stopped, my heart stopped, too, but at the same time, it was like... it felt like maybe my heart started, really started, for the first time and I just... fuck, I think I’m in love with her, Rae.”

“ _That was the cutest shit you’ve ever said, ohmyGod. Clarke, that’s awesome! I’m happy for you. Plus she is totally hot, so you know your kids will be gorgeous!”_

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves! I don’t know for sure if she feels the same way about me.”

“ _Oh, come on! Of course she does, how could she not?”_

“I mean... she might, I just-”

“ _What does your gut tell you?”_

“That... it’s less my gut, it’s like... when I look into her eyes, I can see it... and, I don’t think I’m in this alone, and I want to know, but I can’t ask her, that’s so... I just can’t!”

“ _Clarke, it’s okay to be scared, but you know, you should probably talk to her about this, not me.”_

Raven used her tough love voice and Clarke knew she was right, but she also knew she couldn’t just walk downstairs and look into those shining, brilliant green eyes and say ‘I think I might be in love with you.’ She just couldn’t.

They said their goodbyes and Clarke sat on the edge of her bed and sighed. Her bedroom was the same but somehow different - it felt like it belonged to a Clarke from a lifetime ago, and even though it had only been a couple of years, it felt _weird_ being surrounded by light pink walls and posters of bands she’d all but forgotten existed on the walls around her. The Clarke who lived here, she was young and insecure, under her mother’s thumb at all times - that Clarke didn’t know who she was at all. But now, Clarke was confident. Clarke knew who she was, what she wanted, and she’d taken plenty of chances. _Fuck_. If she wanted Lexa, then dammit, she was just going to have to go for it.

She took the stairs two at a time and when she got to the bottom, Lexa wasn’t in the guest room anymore. She was sitting on the couch with her laptop on the coffee table and a book in her lap. She smiled at Clarke when she walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch next to her. Clarke could hear the professor talking through the headphones Lexa was wearing and it sounded like he was talking about governments and policy and boring stuff like that. Had she been upstairs that long? _Well, damn._

Clarke got back up and snatched her backpack off the floor where she’d left it. She pulled a sketchbook out and then settled back in on the couch with her back against the armrest so she could face Lexa and draw. She started with the outline of Lexa’s face, with that jawline Clarke loved so much, and then got lost in Lexa’s lips, drawing them, thinking about them, the smirk that drove Clarke crazy and the way it felt when they were pressed against hers and -

“What?” Lexa was staring at her, amusement and maybe a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

“What what?” Clarke echoed back.

“You’re looking at me kind of funny... like, I dunno how to explain it.”

“Hmm,” Clarke thought on it. “Maybe I just... like looking at you.” She flashed Lexa a bright smile and went back to her sketchbook.

Her tongue poked out a bit when she tried to get the eyes just right and when she looked up again, Lexa was staring at her and, if Clarke had to guess what her own face looked like when she looked at Lexa, she would guess it looked exactly like Lexa did just then - in awe and mesmerized and... _in love._

Abby Griffin walked through the front door at a quarter after four with two reusable grocery bags, one on each shoulder, and breezed into the kitchen.

“Hey, girls!” She called out cheerily to them both, waved a little bit at Lexa when she turned around from her place on the couch to acknowledge Clarke’s mom, and got to work sorting out her grocery items.

“Hey, mom. How was work?”

“Oh, you know - it’s been hard, but it could be much worse. The entire top floor is just all people who have been infected with the virus - you can’t even get up there without a full suit on. It’s been crazy some days and then eerily calm on others - like people are afraid to come to the hospital in case... well, you know. I did set a broken leg bone this morning,” she added with a smile.

“So what’s for dinner?”

“Jeez, Clarke, your mom _just_ got home,” Lexa chided Clarke and shot her a look.

Clarke just shrugged and waited for her mother to answer. Breakfast hadn’t been filling at all and lunch consisted of a pb&j sandwich, so she was ready for real food.

“Thank you, Lexa,” Abby said to Lexa before she turned to face her daughter. She nudged her head toward Lexa and said, “I like her.”

Clarke smiled. _Good_. “So do I.”

________

Lexa offered to set the table before dinner and Abby seemed positively delighted. Clarke kind of laughed at her, but given the current trajectory of their relationship, Lexa felt it was best to impress Abby now while she was just Clarke’s friend... even if they were already more.

“This looks delicious, Mrs. or, um Doctor Griffin,” Lexa complimented her as they all sat down around the long dining table.

“Please, call me Abby! And thank you, hon. It’s one of Clarke’s favorites.”

Lexa’s plate was piled high with a generous helping of baked chicken parmesan spread over a bed of whole wheat noodles and marinara. She had roasted broccoli on the side and a tall glass of water beside her plate. It looked absolutely amazing and Lexa couldn’t remember ever having a home cooked meal like this in her entire life.

Dinner was pleasant. She fielded questions from Abby like a pro, answered honestly and thoughtfully, and when she caught Clarke smiling at her with a look of pure and total adoration, she melted like the mozzarella on top of her chicken.

“We’ll get the dishes, Doct- ... Abby,” Lexa said once they had all finished their food and the conversation had come to a lull.

“Thank you, that’s very kind.” Abby got up and helped clear the table before she gave Clarke a kiss on her cheek and muttered something about a nice, hot bath.

When Abby was out of earshot, Clarke poked Lexa in the ribs and said, “Sucking up?”

“What! No, Clarke.” Lexa titled her chin up. “I was being _polite_.”

“Mmhmm. You’re trying to impress her, and... I’m pretty sure it’s working.”

“Well,” Lexa shrugged as if unaffected by the news, “I’m good with parents.”

“With your friends’ parents or your girlfriends’ parents?”

The question hit Lexa like a sucker punch and the air in her lungs got stuck somewhere for a second or two. Clarke sounded playful, but she didn’t look it. She looked genuinely interested in Lexa’s answer, like maybe the question itself would tell her something else, something... _more_. And she wanted to give Clarke the answer she was looking for, wanted to tell Clarke it would mean whatever she wanted it to, that they could be more, that they already were, but when she tried, it just came out a kind of mess. _Ugh_.

“Either, or... parents in general... whichever, you... it could be, um-”

“Wow, okay. Don’t hurt yourself.” Clarke chuckled lightly and tugged on Lexa’s wrist. “Let’s tackle these dishes you so _eagerly_ volunteered us for.”

Lexa blushed but she followed Clarke into the kitchen and started the water. They teased each other back and forth while they washed and dried every last dish from dinner.

“You’re such a butthead,” Lexa said as she shoved Clarke’s shoulder with her own.

“Yeah, but you love me anyway,” Clarke froze immediately and looked at Lexa with wide eyes. It wasn’t a big deal, technically - she’d heard Clarke say that to friends’ of hers before, and Lexa had said it to Anya on occasion and under any other circumstance, maybe, it wouldn’t have been - but it was a big deal because it _meant_ a lot more than it ever had before with anyone else.

Lexa looked at Clarke, at her piercing blue eyes, and nodded, a barely-there nod, but Clarke saw it and exhaled a shaky breath and stepped into Lexa’s space. Clarke’s hand reached up and traced Lexa’s jaw, held her there, pressed a feather-light kiss to Lexa’s lips and then pulled away slowly. ‘Me too’ was left hanging in the air between them, but Lexa knew.

Abby’s footsteps on the stairs startled them both apart.

“I just came down to say goodnight. I know it’s still early, but I’ve got a date with a good book and an early shift in the morning. I hope it’s okay with you both that I turn in early.”

“That’s cool, Mom. We’re just going to watch a movie.”

“Okay, well don’t stay up too late. Goodnight, girls.” Abby smiled warmly at them both before she turned and walked back up the stairs.

Lexa followed Clarke to the couch in the living room and sat down. Clarke flipped through several channels on the TV before she found a Pitch Perfect marathon that had just started. She turned the large overhead light off so the room was lit only by what little sunlight remained outside and filtered in through the windows. The sun was setting and the sky was mostly orange and red by the time Clarke sat down next to Lexa, a large throw blanket in hand.

“Here,” she said as she spread the blanket out over their laps. Fifteen minutes or so went by, Lexa wasn’t counting, before she started moving and repositioning herself on the couch. She propped a pillow against the armrest behind her and leaned her back into it so she was facing Clarke. She bent her left leg and pressed it against the back of the couch creating space for Clarke to come closer.

Clarke flashed a toothy grin at Lexa and climbed over Lexa’s right leg. Clarke slid one arm under Lexa’s back and let the other stroke Lexa’s arm, laid her head against Lexa’s chest, and nestled her body in against Lexa’s core. Lexa fixed the blanket over them both and sighed contentedly while Clarke played with the hem on the sleeve of her t-shirt. She kissed the top of Clarke’s head and wrapped her arms firmly around Clarke’s shoulders. It was the best feeling, holding Clarke, and Lexa wondered why they’d never watched a movie like that before.

______

“Clarke,” Lexa nudged her gently. “Baby, wake up,” she whispered.

“Mmm, no... comfy.” Clarke’s reply was muffled, her face still buried in Lexa’s chest.

“I know, but we fell asleep, and I think it’s time for bed.”

Clarke pushed herself up on her elbows and looked around. The room was dark and the credits were rolling on the TV. _Damn_. She really liked those movies, too, but it was impossible not to fall asleep in Lexa’s arms once she started to play with Clarke’s hair and rub gentle circles on her back. It felt _so good._

“Okay, okay, I’m up.” Clarke pushed herself all the way up and missed the feeling of Lexa’s warm body against hers immediately. She didn’t want to go to bed, her bed, without Lexa. She didn’t want to try to sleep without the brunette beside her. But she was tired and so was Lexa and _ugh_ it had to happen sooner or later. Clarke was just glad it had been later and she’d been able to spend most of the night wrapped up in Lexa’s arms.

She set the blanket down on the couch and walked with Lexa to her door.

“Well, um... goodnight then,” Clarke said shyly. “Sweet dreams.”

“Goodnight, Clarke.” Lexa leaned in and kissed Clarke’s cheek, and she felt a shiver run through her body and that was crazy because it was just a cheek kiss, but it wasn’t because Lexa _loved_ her and-

Clarke grabbed the back of Lexa’s neck and kissed her with passion and force and _love_ and when they broke for air, Clarke was gasping but smiling.

“G’night,” she said. She turned away to go upstairs and left Lexa dizzy by the guest room door.

The full bed in her bedroom felt way too big for her after sharing a bed with Lexa for two weeks and she wondered how Lexa was faring downstairs on a Queen mattress.

Clarke could not sleep. She tossed and turned, she rolled and huffed. She kicked the covers off, then got down and picked them back up. Clarke looked at the alarm clock beside her bed - one hour. It had been a full hour since she climbed into bed and she had not slept a wink.

Fuck it.

Clarke tip-toed down the hallway past her mother’s room and then stepped even more quietly down each stair so they wouldn’t creak. She stopped outside of the large wooden door to the guest bedroom. She could see a faint light peeking out through the bottom of the door and hoped it meant that Lexa was awake. She knocked quietly on the door a few times.

When Lexa pulled the door open, Clarke blinked to adjust her eyes to the small light on the bedside table.

“Clarke... are you okay?” Lexa looked genuinely concerned and it was so sweet.

“I am, I just... I couldn’t sleep.” Clarke looked at the ground, suddenly unsure of herself.

“Me either,” Lexa replied somewhat sheepishly. “I was just,” she gestured to the bookcase, “perusing the collection of literature, hoping it would help.” She shrugged. It obviously hadn’t worked.

“Can I... can I come in?”

“Of course,” Lexa’s voice was quiet but hopeful.

Clarke stepped into the room and closed the door softly behind her. She looked at the bed and the way it was indented in the middle told Clarke Lexa hadn’t yet gotten under the covers.

“Did you even try to sleep, Lex?” Clarke pointed at the pillows where the sheets and comforter were still drawn up from when Abby made the bed at some point that week.

“Um... Not yet... the bed is just-”

“Not comfy?”

“Too empty.” Lexa’s eyes were dark and honest and it sent a shiver down Clarke’s spine.

The air between them felt charged. Clarke’s body tingled everywhere and when she stepped closer to Lexa, her breath caught and it fueled Clarke further.

“Mine too,” she whispered against Lexa’s cheek and she slowly pushed forward.

Lexa took two steps back, Clarke moving with her, until Lexa’s body hit the bed and she fell to it, seated. Lexa looked up at Clarke and Clarke could see the glisten in her eyes, the absolute awe and weight of the moment reflected there, and Clarke knew she felt the same way. The world was ending all around them but that look... Clarke knew it had only just begun.

“Clarke... I...”

“I know,” Clarke answered honestly, because she did know. She knew everything Lexa wanted to say to her, didn’t know how to voice, and she wanted to say it, too, but instead-

Clarke leaned in and when their lips connected it felt like the first day of the rest of her life. Lexa’s hands gripped at her back, held her there, like Lexa was afraid Clarke might float away if she didn’t. Clarke broke the kiss before it got too intense, stood back up and regarded Lexa. Her eyes were the darkest green Clarke had ever seen and if she was going to get lost somewhere, Lexa’s eyes were definitely it. Lexa looked up at Clarke like she hung the fucking moon and _yeah_ Clarke couldn’t just _almost_ have Lexa anymore - she _needed_ her.

Clarke pulled at the hem of her t-shirt and tugged it up over her head and tossed it onto the floor. She had a habit of doing that, lately, it seemed. She looked at Lexa tentatively, a silent question in her eyes, _is this okay?_ But the look on Lexa’s face had changed and yes, it was definitely okay.

Lexa’s eyes lingered on Clarke’s chest before she finally looked up at Clarke again. Lexa stoodand slowly stepped into Clarke’s space. She placed her hand gingerly on the underside of Clarke’s jaw, leaned in and placed a soft, feather-light kiss to Clarke’s cheek, then her forehead, her nose, before she leaned back and looked into Clarke’s bright blue eyes. _I love you_ was left unspoken but Clarke knew, Clarke could feel it in the way Lexa pressed her lips against Clarke’s.

Clarke placed her palm against Lexa’s chest, felt the way Lexa’s heart beat rampant, and _oh God._ Clarke slowly dropped her hand lower, reached for the hem of Lexa’s shirt with the other, and slowly pulled it up over Lexa’s head. Lexa pulled her in, their bodies flush, and kissed Clarke again but it was deeper... _hungry_.

Clarke tangled her hands in Lexa’s soft mane and pulled her in harder to deepen this kiss and when Lexa’s tongue brushed against Clarke’s bottom lip seeking entrance, Clarke granted it. Her entire body felt like it was on fire and when Lexa’s hands started to roam across her body, tentatively squeezed and kneaded her breasts, Clarke couldn’t stop the moan from escaping, _Oh God._ Lexa rolled Clarke’s nipple between her fingers, started a trail of hot kisses down her neck, and Clarke felt her legs go weak underneath her.

Clarke untangled her hands from Lexa’s hair and dropped them to the waistband of Lexa’s boxers. As she slid her hands underneath the fabric, Clarke hooked her thumbs on the elasticand tugged the boxers down just enough to make Lexa’s breath catch and then Lexa stepped back a little bit before moving her own hands lower, too, down the side of Clarke’s body. She ran her fingers on the outside of the cotton fabric and gripped Clarke’s ass, leaned down, and lifted Clarke up in one swift but careful motion. And _fuck_ if she was going to make that a habit, too, Clarke was completely on board with it because _God_ Lexa’s arms and hands and fuck.

Lexa turned and lowered Clarke down onto the bed with ease. Clarke watched Lexa as she pulled her boxers down slowly and kicked them off and _Holy Fuck_ Lexa was gorgeous, _Hot Damn_. Clarke attacked her own underwear, pulled them off in a hasty totally un-sexy way that she hoped wouldn’t kill the moment. (It didn’t.) She tossed them onto the floor with the rest of their clothes and when Clarke looked back up at Lexa, her eyes were dark, almost black, and it sent a rush of heat right through Clarke’s body and straight to her core.

Lexa climbed onto the bed, edged Clarke up further so her head met the pillows, and kissed her with a new kind of intensity that Clarke felt immediately flood through her and _thank God_ her underwear was already off because they would be ruined by a kiss like _that_. Lexa let her body fall flush against Clarke, her hands pressed into the mattress on either side of Clarke’s chest as she settled between Clarke’s legs, her abdomen pressed deliciously against Clarke’s center.

“Oh God,” Clarke gasped as the sensation sent a shockwave through her body.

Clarke pulled Lexa down into a bruising kiss, felt Lexa’s abs flex and flutter every time they changed angles, felt every time Lexa’s stomach pressed against her clit, throbbing and needy from the pressure and _fuck_ Clarke needed more. She canted her hips up against Lexa, clawed at her back-

“Please.”

Lexa smirked, _God_ , and rolled her hips into Clarke, started a rhythm that Clarke matched and _holy fuck_ Lexa’s abs were completely soaked, heat flooded through Clarke like a fucking tidal wave. _Jesus_. Lexa kept going, rolled her hips harder, faster, and Clarke was sure she could come just from that, but it wasn’t what she wanted, or needed, from Lexa.

“More,” Clarke said, breathing ragged and hot against Lexa’s face.

Lexa’s hand moved slowly down Clarke’s stomach. Clarke writhed and squirmed beneath her, moved against Lexa’s abs with urgency as she sought the friction her body begged for.

“Lex, please.”

Lexa pushed her hand between them and it broke the contact. Clarke whined at the loss, but Lexa stopped her with the eager press of her lips against Clarke’s mouth as she slid her fingers through Clarke’s wet folds.

“Holy fuck,” Lexa choked out. “God you’re so wet.”

Clarke’s nails dug into Lexa’s back harder as she soaked her fingers, teased playfully at Clarke’s entrance, slid one finger in, and back out again. Clarke buried her face in the crook of Lexa’s neck, wrapped her arms around strong shoulders and tried to pull her down, begged for more. And _Holy Fuck_ Lexa sank two fingers in deep. Clarke bit down on Lexa’s shoulder to stifle the moan it caused because _oh God_ Lexa’s fingers were _so fucking long_ and deep inside and-

“Fuck... yeah, Lexa, God... just like that.”

Lexa started to move her fingers inside of Clarke, but only barely. She pressed her thumb against Clarke’s swollen bud, just enough pressure to keep Clarke on edge, as she started to pump slowly in and out. And fuck, Clarke didn’t know how Lexa managed that angle without breaking her wrist, but it felt _so fucking good_ she didn’t really care, as long as Lexa didn’t stop, and she didn’t stop, but _God_ she kept the pace slow, too slow, and Clarke bucked her hips up for more.

“Baby, please... ” The name tumbled out of Clarke’s mouth and when she opened her eyes, looked into Lexa’s, what she found there was _intense_.

Lexa pulled her fingers out, slid back in with three, knuckle deep.

“Jesus, fuck.” Clarke bit down on Lexa’s shoulder.

Her movements were slow at first, she watched Clarke’s eyes, gave her a moment to adjust to the fill and thank God she did because... but _oh God_ it felt so good, Lexa deep inside and _holy fuck_ Lexa pushed in farther, her fingers stretched and filled Clarke and she saw stars dance behind her eyelids. She grasped Lexa’s shoulder with one hand, the bed sheet clutched firmly in the other, as she bucked her hips up to match Lexa’s rhythm.

“Fuck Clarke, you feel so fucking good.”

Lexa leaned forward and pressed wet kisses across Clarke’s chest. She pulled one hardened nipple into her mouth and sucked it gently while her fingers pumped in and out. Clarke moaned with pleasure as her walls began to clench.

“Lexa...” She urged Lexa up, wanted to feel Lexa’s lips against her own.

She traced a circle around Clarke’s nipple with her tongue before she surged forward and crashed their lips together again. She sucked and bit down on Clarke’s bottom lip and _Jesus_ Clarke felt it everywhere, warmth flooded and coated Lexa’s fingers again and she sped up. Lexa thrust her fingers in deep, faster and harder. Clarke’s walls started to tighten around them.

“Fuck, that’s good-”

Lexa curled her fingers and kept the pace steady, the full weight of her body pressed on top of Clarke. Clarke’s body was hot and sweaty and writhing beneath her, but she kept her in place and pumped faster. _Oh, oh God_. Clarke broke their kiss, couldn’t breath, buried her face in the crook of Lexa’s neck and _oh fuck._

Lexa pumped her fingers harder, Clarke’s walls clenched and tightened completely around her fingers, her thighs began to shake and her breathing was labored, hard and fast - Clarke was close, _so close_ , and all it took was another purposeful curl of Lexa’s long deft fingers as her thumb gently brushed across Clarke’s swollen bundle of nerves that sent Clarke tumbling over the edge. _Oh, fuck, oh God, fuck._

Her back arched off the bed, nails dug into Lexa’s back and Lexa hissed at the sensation before the heat flooded her hands, dripping out of Clarke and onto the sheets below her. Lexa covered Clarke’s mouth with her own, swallowed the screams and curses that tumbled out freely as the orgasm ripped through Clarke’s body and left her shaking and panting underneath Lexa.

“Fuck.” Clarke released the white-knuckle grip she had had on the sheets and slung her arm over her face.

She took a moment to catch her breath before she moved her arm and looked at Lexa. Even through her blurred and hazy vision, Clarke was able to make out the self-satisfied smirk that played on Lexa’s lips and _oh God_.

“Jesus, Lexa,” Clarke croaked out, throat dry. “You’re fucking amazing.”

Lexa smirked harder, if that was even possible.

“You’re beautiful, Clarke. So fucking beautiful.”

Clarke pulled Lexa back in and kissed her deep and slow.

_________

Lexa rested her head on Clarke’s chest, listened to her heart beat even out, and ran her fingers softly along Clarke’s side. She couldn’t stop smiling. _God_ , Clarke was beautiful.

Clarke leaned up and Lexa shifted, let her body fall to the side of Clarke, as she propped her head up on her elbow.

“Hi,” Clarke smiled at her and, _oh God,_ her smile.

“Hey,” Lexa smiled, too. She hadn’t stopped.

Clarke’s grin spread and there was a glint in her eyes. Her eyebrow quirked and she moved, pushed Lexa’s shoulders down against the bed and climbed on top of her. _Jesus_.

Clarke pressed a light kiss to Lexa’s already kiss-bruised lips, pulled Lexa’s bottom lip gently between her teeth and then soothed the spot with her tongue. _God_ , she could do that forever. Clarke moved her tongue slowly, kissed her deep and when their tongues met, _Fuck_ , it felt like Heaven.

Lexa felt Clarke’s hot center press against her stomach again and, _Oh God,_ but Clarke didn’t press against Lexa. Instead, she raked her fingers up Lexa’s sides and Lexa shivered. Clarke smiled but didn’t break their kiss. She palmed Lexa’s breasts in her hands, kneaded and grazed her thumb across pert nipples.

“Mm,” Lexa moaned into the kiss. _Jesus_.

Lexa felt Clarke start to slowly work her up. She touched Lexa everywhere, moved from her breasts down, dragged her nails down to the top of Lexa’s stomach, her sides, didn’t break their kiss until she wanted to go further.

“God, Lexa. Your body, fuck.”

Clarke kissed Lexa hard before she sat up and shifted, her body now only half on top of Lexa, and Lexa tried to chase her lips, but Clarke apparently had other plans. Her fingers caught Lexa’s chin and she tilted it up, kissed the exposed skin there, kept kissing down the column of Lexa’s neck, hot wet kisses that _fuck_ Lexa could feel everywhere but then Clarke let go and settled her hand between Lexa’s thighs _God_ and Lexa could feel that everywhere, too, felt the heat rush through her as Clarke caressed the skin she found there. It was light and gentle and not even close to enough because Lexa was wet, had been wet, _fucking soaked_ and ready, _so fucking ready_ but Clarke seemed content to tease her.

“Clarke,” Lexa whined, _actually whined_ , but Clarke just smiled and pressed more kisses down Lexa’s body. 

She spent an achingly long time on Lexa’s abs, hummed contentedly with each kiss she placed on Lexa’s hot, salty skin, and _fuck_ if her muscles kept fluttering like that she would never need to work out again. _Jesus_. Clarke climbed back up Lexa and kissed her again and Lexa could taste it, the arousal that had flooded her abdomen when Clarke came, on Clarke’s tongue as she pressed it against Lexa’s. _Fuck_. Lexa’s eyes shut tightly as Clarke’s tongue slid against hers, flooded her mouth with the taste, and _God_ she needed more, wanted to taste Clarke for herself.

“Clarke, God-”

She tried to flip them over, to get the upper hand, but Clarke pinned her back down onto the bed, eyebrow arched and smug smile on her lips.

“Uh-uh.” Clarke eyed Lexa, eyes black and serious. “Not yet.”

Lexa just nodded.

When Clarke seemed sure Lexa wouldn’t try that again, she sat up and moved back down Lexa’s body. Clarke’s kisses grew hungrier the further down she went and she seemed to delight in every little noise that escaped Lexa, in the way she writhed and squirmed with even the lightest touch. And it wasn’t enough, wasn’t even close, but _God_ it felt good and _fuck_ Lexa couldn’t believe it was happening, _actually_ happening, anyway.

“Scoot up,” Clarke said, confident and commanding and Lexa pushed off the bed and moved up, her back against the pillows and head straight ahead, laser-focused on Clarke. _Whatever you say._

Clarke moved to the end of the bed and sat back on her heels, looked at Lexa’s naked body splayed out before her, and when she looked up at Lexa, her eyes were black and _holy Fuck_ Lexa had never been so turned on from a look before. _Damn_. Clarke leaned forward, put her hands firmly on Lexa’s thighs, and pushed, spread her legs wide and _Holy_ -

Lexa stopped breathing, she watched Clarke take it all in and _fuck_ if she could come from a look, that would do it.

Clarke climbed up slowly, kissed up the inside of Lexa’s right thigh, ghosted over her center, kissed down the left. Lexa tried to spur Clarke on, urged her to give Lexa the friction she desperately needed, but it didn’t work. Clarke smirked against her thigh and kissed it harder, bit down a little before she sucked and soothed the tender spot with her tongue and Lexa knew it would leave a mark but _God_ that was totally fine. Clarke eyed the red bruise for a moment.

“Satisfied?”

“Very,” Clarke husked.

Her grip on Lexa’s thighs tightened. She was done teasing. _Oh God._ Clarke licked her lips and pressed a hot, wet kiss to Lexa’s clit and _Jesus Lord_ every nerve in Lexa’s body exploded as Clarke circled the sensitive bud with her tongue, kissed and licked at the swollen bundle of nerves, tasted everything Lexa had to give her. Lexa’s body twitched with every delicate flick of Clarke’s tongue and _God_ it was good but it still wasn’t enough.

“Clarke,” Lexa huffed. “Please... more, I need... more.”

Clarke slid her fingers through Lexa’s slick folds, a moan caught in her throat, and she cursed.

“Fuck. You’re wet, God, Lexa you... You are _so_ fucking sexy.”

She pushed two fingers in, slowly, and Lexa’s eyes slammed shut. _Fuck_. Clarke slid in and out, leaned in and kissed Lexa’s thighs as she did.

Her entire body was on fire. Clarke’s breath was hot against her skin. She could feel her legs shake once, twice. Clarke picked up her pace, pushed hard in and slower back out and Lexa could feel herself tense and clench against the fill of Clarke’s fingers moving inside of her and, _fuck_ , Clarke pressed a delicate kiss to Lexa’s center, slid her tongue out and drew circles around Lexa’s clit that matched the rhythm of her thrusts, faster, harder. The tighter Lexa’s walls clenched, the faster Clarke went, fingers hooked inside and pressed against rough skin and _Fuck, fuck, oh, oh God._

Lexa pulled a pillow down over her face to stifle the scream that came from low in her gut and scorched her throat when Clarke curled her fingers in and pumped harder. Lexa’s body froze as every nerve in her body exploded in pleasure and her orgasm crashed through every inch of her, from the bottom of her toes to the tips of her fingers and _holy fucking shit_ she couldn’t breathe.

Her chest heaved and her vision blurred and she felt boneless as her body went limp. Clarke’s fingers stilled inside her and she pressed her lips to Lexa’s center once more before she eased her fingers out slowly and Lexa twitched again.

“Shit,” she gasped. “Jesus, Clarke.”

Lexa blinked and tried to focus on Clarke as she climbed back up the bed but her vision was blurry and it was Clarke’s fault, anyway. She felt Clarke’s body press against hers as she laid down on top of Lexa and grabbed her hand, threaded their fingers together, and sighed, a happy sigh, that Lexa echoed.

They laid together for awhile in comfortable silence, bodies spent and hearts content.

“You’re fucking perfect, you know that right?”

“Hmm,” Clarke hummed thoughtfully besides her. “I think you’re pretty perfect, too.”

“What happens now?” She didn’t mean to say it out loud, didn’t want to put any expectations on Clarke or whatever was happening between them, felt Clarke kind of shift beside her, and immediately added, “I mean, what are you gonna tell Raven?”

“Raven?” Clarke gasped as confusion crossed her features.

“Yeah. I just... I get the feeling she’d want to know if you did manage to hate-bang the hottie, is all.”

“Oh God,” Clarke groaned. She buried her face against Lexa’s chest. “I kind of really hate that you heard you that.” Her cheeks were flush and it was _super cute._

“I know,” Lexa smirked.

“But no, I’m not going to tell her that we hate-banged.” Clarke swatted at Lexa playfully.

“No?”

“I mean, no. That would suggest extreme dislike between one or both of the people involved and... I don’t dislike you, extremely or otherwise...” Clarke was quiet for a moment before she added, “Quite the opposite, in fact.”

“Oh yeah?” Lexa quirked her eyebrow at Clarke.

“I mean, Lexa, let me very clear about this - I have _always_ wanted to bang you, but... I never actually hated you.”

“So, it was like... a like-bang then?” Clarke’s cheeks were an even deeper shade of pink and Lexa loved it, loved the way Clarke looked when she got flustered, and how could she not?

“Lexa! No.” Clarke sighed heavily. “That’s just, it’s just how Raven is. You’ll understand when you get to know her.”

Huh. And wasn’t that something. Because maybe Lexa wasn’t ready to ask Clarke what was next, but if she talked about Lexa meeting her best friend like it was as inevitable as it seemed to be... well it wasn’t nothing.

“Well,” Lexa chewed her bottom lip, “whatever kind of bang it was, you make sure to tell Raven that I did what she asked of me.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mmhmm,” Lexa replied in her own smug kind of way. “I did take _very_ good care of you.”

“Yeah, you did.” Clarke flashed her a wicked kind of grin. _Oh_.

“But, for real, can we stop saying bang now?”

“Mmm...” Clarke leaned over Lexa and pressed her lips lightly against her mouth and it sent a shiver down her spine. “You know, Lex... we don’t have to talk at all.”

And they didn’t. And Lexa didn’t wonder or worry about what was next because she was with Clarke, in her arms, and she felt alive for the first time in a long time, like maybe everything in the world had to go to shit so she could get her shit together, so she could find her way to Clarke, _finally_.

And that... that was _everything_.


End file.
